Winegrowers air spring spraying concerns

VINE PROTECTOR: Waiheke Winegrowers Association spokesman Michael Hogan is calling for a ban of hormone herbicide spraying from August to April.

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Winegrowers are calling for caution over weed spraying this spring after damage to crops last year.

Bud burst has come early after a mild winter and grapevines with young leaves are known to be among the most sensitive crops to herbicides and weed eradication chemical spraying at this time.

Waiheke Winegrowers Association spokesman Michael Hogan says last year several Waiheke vineyards suffered significant damage to their crops from Phenoxy herbicides (brushkillers).

Contractors must notify landowners if they are going to spray such a herbicide within 1km of any commercial viticulture or horticultural activity.

Brushkillers should also not be sprayed when it is windy, especially the Ester form of Phenoxy herbicide.

But Mr Hogan says research has also shown herbicides can drift 8km to 10km.

"Because they are hormone-based, these products are highly volatile and that is why there are strict regulations on how to use them. Our main concern is that the law is not always respected," says Mr Hogan.

Leaves on vines contaminated by this hormone herbicide are deformed and the fruit damaged.

Jurassic Ridge vineyard owner Lance Blumhardt says he lost 15 percent of his Pinot Gris crop in 2008 and 5 percent in 2009 because of hormone pesticide damage.

"There are so many simple ways to eradicate pest weeds or gorse without using brushkillers, and the winegrowers association would like the use of hormone-based herbicides to be banned – at least from the end of August to the end of April."

The Waiheke Winegrowers Association represents 23 Waiheke vineyards and wants to raise awareness of the problem.

Mr Blumhardt says the majority of vineyards on the island follow sustainable viticulture practices, and are members of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Some already have organic certification and many are on the road to it, and use quite harmless sprays.

"I've never heard of a farm complaining of damage from vineyards spraying but alas the opposite is often true although farmers are subject to the same HASNO regulations and spraying controls as viticulturists.

"Unfortunately, it is still very easy to buy toxic products such as brushkillers in any gardening shop."

Auckland City Council parks officer Gary Wilton says it is aware of the problem and has been spraying only organic palm oil.

He says the council sometimes uses contractors but they must follow local board recommendations on the matter and use only organic products.

Last year a delegation from Auckland Regional Council visited Waiheke to investigate damage caused by hormone herbicides on two vineyards.

"But many more had been affected," Mr Blumhardt says.

Regional council rural manager Rob Hughes says the delegation also met several spray contractors on the island "who were using all variety of different chemicals including hormone weed killers".

Mr Hughes says the regional council agrees recommendations regarding spraying should be respected.

"We have not received any complaints from Waiheke winegrowers so far this year, but of course it's very early in the season."

- Waiheke Marketplace