Sep 20, 2017

Free mobile app for vineyard management released

A new mobile application for vineyard managers has been released for free download for iPhone and Android mobile phones. The Vineyard Advisor provides recommendations for managing some 350 problems afflicting grapes nationwide, from diseases, insects, mites, nematodes and wildlife, to environmental stress, physiological disorders and weeds.

The Vineyard Advisor began as a project funded by the American Vineyard Foundation in 2014, which produced a working prototype. Subsequent funding from the State of Texas supported development of the fully functional mobile app.

Ed Hellman, professor of viticulture at Texas Tech University, led development of The Vineyard Advisor while holding a joint appointment as viticulture Extension specialist with Texas A&M AgriLifeExtension, based in Fredericksburg where he is leading expansion of viticulture and enology teaching and research programs in the Texas Hill Country.

The Vineyard Advisor provides recommendations on control strategies and action thresholds, natural controls and cultural practices, organic materials and pesticides. The most current list of all pesticides labeled for use on grapes to control a specific problem is retrieved from the EPA label database. Full labels are available in PDF format for most pesticide products.

Weed management recommendations provide cultural practices and general recommendations, as well as special considerations for difficult to control weeds, or those that have developed tolerance to herbicides.  Again, the most current list is provided of all herbicides labeled for use on grapes to control a specific weed.  Two search options are available to the user: search The Vineyard Advisor database for grape problems, or search for pesticides labeled for use on grapes.  The pesticide search can be done by product name or active ingredient. Customized links are provided to the app user’s state agricultural extension service and pesticide regulatory agency based on the user’s location.

The Vinyeard Advisor can be downloaded at:

iTunes App Store

Google Play (Android)

– Ed Hellman, Texas Tech University