Page 44 - Grapevine SeptOct 2021

Around The Vineyard
es the velocity of the air and widens the sector
angle of coverage from 47 to 49 degrees out to 80
degrees.”
Hauff said that ice nucleation begins to form
after four minutes of no air movement under nor-
mal radiation frost conditions. Chinook fans start
protecting the fruit bud and plant after three and
a half minutes. In addition, Chinook’s more com-
prehensive sector angle coverage mixes air in the
horizontal and vertical plane, providing additional
plant tissue protection from the ground up in even,
uneven or up to four degree sloped areas with no
special add-on equipment needed.
Hauff also offers a model that raises and lowers
to the ground via hydraulic cylinders to eliminate
the need for climbing and allow more accessible
and safer servicing and maintenance. Annual rec-
ommended preventative maintenance consists of
changing oil, checking the gearboxes, and greasing
the tower and fan. Hauff said that this is usually
accomplished in under an hour and requires no
specific skill or unique expertise.
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Grapevines In The Mist:
Battling Frost With Misting Machines
Another method to thwart the harmful effects of
frost is through a technique involving misters and
targeted directional spray. Resource West, Inc.
offers humidification systems to optimize and maxi-
mize operations and serve multiple purposes within
many industries, including vineyards and wineries.
Their thermodynamic humidification systems pro-
tect vineyards from adverse weather conditions
ranging from extreme heat through frost and
freezing temperatures. The units add humidity into
the air when needed or provide cooling for crops
during extreme heat situations. These humidifica-
tion systems give vineyard managers better crop
control while providing winemakers better aging
control over their products. The system can be suc-
cessfully used indoors in barrel and aging houses
and outdoors throughout the vineyard.
“Our humidification systems work by 3x convec-
tive dilution (thermophoresis), velocity control
for droplet trajectory and droplet size control,”
877-892-5332
8/19/21 2:26 PM