Through the implementation of the Barossa Australia strategy, a range of environmental projects and initiatives are being delivered to support the Barossa grape growing and winemaking community.
This initiative is Barossa Australia’s desire to encourage its grape growers to take a more resilience-focussed approach to their vineyard management.
BGWA has communicated the benefits of establishing native grasses and revegetating landholdings in terms of preparing for a changing climate, saving water, improving soil health, preventing erosion, improving biodiversity, and beautifying their properties.
The case for increasing biodiversity in Barossa’s vineyards – and in turn ‘creating more adaptive capacity’ in the face of a changing climate – has been escalated by the release of Regional Development Australia – Barossa Region Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which states:
- By 2030 temperatures will rise by 0.6° to 1.0°C (and by 1.5° to 2.0°C by 2070)
- Frequency and intensity of heatwaves will increase
- Annual rainfall will decline by 2 to 5% by 2030 (and by 10 to 20% by 2070)
Viticultural practices recommended in light of this include:
- Improve irrigation management and weather forecasting
- Manage water resources more efficiently
- Manage extremes (heatwaves, rain, bush fire risk)
- Vine management – mulch, canopy management, rootstocks, sunscreen