Page 45 - Grapevine SeptOct 2021
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Around The Vineyard
said Robert Ballantyne Jr., Senior Vice President,
Principal Engineer, and Atomic and Molecular
Spectroscopist for Resource West Inc. “Our larger,
outdoor systems offer surface tension control for
proper wetting of soil or foliage to fit the current
environmental conditions and offer protection from
frost, damaging cold or extreme heat.”
Ballantyne Jr said RWI’s humidification systems
get positioned in a vineyard’s higher elevations,
allowing the cooling process to cascade down the
slopes. “We cover large acreage, but for the best
use, a civil engineering plan should be worked out
to discover the best placement of the units to real-
ize the greatest effectiveness of the systems. We
determine the optimum number of units to locate
within your vineyard through thorough question-
naires and detailed weather analysis.”
A misting humidification system allows water
droplets to freeze and coat any new or green
exposed plant tissue, providing a protective coat
for that new tissue against frost conditions. Experts
recommend providing a steady or continuous
stream of droplets for maximum protection when
conditions remain below freezing.
“In addition to frost protection, our units provide
a nice cooling effect from the evaporation that nat-
urally takes place,” said Ballantyne Jr. “Heat relief
from our systems protects crops in temperatures
ranging up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. And since
the cooling process is physics-based, the success
rate is 100%. The decision to do it at that point is
usually a cost-benefit decision, based on cost and
the amount of acreage covered by the units.”
Easy To Own, Easy To Use,
And Easy To Maintain
Ballantyne Jr. said that many clients prefer a rent-
to-own option when choosing a humidification unit.
RWI always performs the analysis and engineering
tasks needed before purchase, but the systems
are fully functional and generate benefits on a
year-round basis. The number of benefits gained
by year-round use varies based on the client’s geo-
graphic location.
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