VIT7.10 Viticulture Science and Practice
Semester1 & 2 - 2020
Practical reports – Data collection and vineyard management-On campus students
Weighting 10% of the final mark
Length Approximately 1700-2000 words (Please use Arial 11pt 1.5 line spacing)
Learning outcome 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8
Due date 30th October 2020
In the domain of viticulture, you will hear the terms vine balance, vigour and canopy management used extensively. To understand these terms it is necessary that you become familiar with grapevines and vineyards. For this assessment, you will become responsible for the care and management of vines allocated to you in the EIT vineyard. You will record all that you see and do, giving you the opportunity to apply canopy management to attain vine balance and in doing so, giving you a reference point whenever you are contemplating vines in a vineyard.
Assignment outline
Overview For this assessment, you will be writing in an online report, on a regular basis (at least weekly), on the work you do and your observations of the vines in the EIT vineyard allocated to you. These vines will be under your care. The report will be in the form of a log. As well as this, you will record data that you collect onto a spreadsheet.
The data collection and the tasks you perform will be both in class time and your own time. The data you collect will also be used for Practical Report 2 in this course. You will need to perform any task given in a timely matter, as some of the tasks you perform will be critical to the vine’s health and well-being. This assessment will run for the entire year but you will be given continuous feedback which you will need to respond to as part of your final mark which will be based on your response to feedback.

Assignment guidelines
Step 1
Read through the assessment instructions and rubric. Highlight any language you are unclear about
or note down any questions you may have to ask your educator.
Step 2
Identify the vines and the bay that you have been allocated. Each row is numbered. You must make sure you have the correct bay and that you know the other students who share the row with you. Look at the ‘Where is my Bay?’ presentation and look at the image ‘Vineyard Layout.’
Step 3
Under the guidance of your tutor, perform the necessary tasks that the vines need in order to produce the fruit of the desired yield and quality. Take notes of all that you do and observe. Take photographs that can be used in your log and record the measurements that you have been instructed in so that they can be stored on a spreadsheet. The tasks you will perform and record may include:
• Pruning and vine restoration
• Shoot thinning
• Leaf removal
• Wire lifting
• Budwood and rootstock collection
• Grafting
• Trellis repairs
The data you will collect and store using a spreadsheet may include
• Bay location
• Variety and rootstock
• Row width and vine spacing
• Trellis system
• Pruning method
• Dates of significant EL stages such as bud burst, cap-fall, fruitset etc.)
• Yield estimation
• Berry analysis
• Harvest data
• Pruning weights and assessment data
• Count shoots, count nodes and watershoots
• Inflorescences and other yield estimation data
Things that you might observe are:
• EL Stages as they occur
• Pests and diseases
• Weather events
• Damage to vines or infrastructure
• Health and safety issues
• Anything that you deem relevant or important
Step 4
Write into your online log the tasks you perform and anything you observe. When entering information start with the date and the action you have taken or the event you have observed then write down what you see or what you do. For example, if you are looking at your bay around September you may notice that your buds are beginning to move. In the journal you can write:
23 September. Bud Movement. In row 5/bay 3 buds on the ends of cane are showing EL3 (a copy of the EL Stages of grapevine growth is on the course site).
Record any data collected into a spreadsheet. Instructions in how to use spreadsheets will be given but you can find resources on the course site to help you become familiar with spreadsheets.
Report entries are expected at least weekly.
Step 5
On some occasions you will be instructed to work in a team and you will be required to organise the teamwork yourselves. The team may be based on the row your vines are allocated to or the variety of grapes. The tasks you will perform are:
• Wire lifting
• Repairs to the trellis system
• Predicting the yield
• Sampling berries for the following ripeness parameters for three consecutive weeks
i. Average berry weight
ii. Sugar content (oBrix)
iii. Titratable acidity
iv. pH
v. The taste of the fruit
Step 6
On the occasion that you predict the yield you need to discuss the results in your report and describe the method you used to predict the yield. This must be referenced.
Step 7
On the occasion that you sample the berries for ripeness in your report you will discuss the following. This must be referenced.
• The method you used to obtain the sample (must be referenced)
• The method you used to analyse the berries (must be referenced)
• Discuss the results of the analysis of a berry sample over three weeks and compare this to published material such as text books and journals.
Step 8
When pruning the vines, you will record specific data that you will need to complete practical report 2. Do not prune your vines until you have been instructed on the data you need to collect.
Step 9
Continue adding to your log and spreadsheet for the duration of the course. Respond to any feedback
Step 10
The completed report and spreadsheet are what will be graded according to the marking rubric.
Academic Requirements
Referencing & Academic Misconduct
• All work submitted must be original and entirely your own work, except where you use ideas, quotations, tables, diagrams or any other material from other writers. In such cases, you must acknowledge the source using the APA referencing style. Please refer to this link for more information.
• References from a variety of sources and types should be used. Wikipedia as a primary reference is not permitted.
• Academic misconduct includes dishonest behaviour in assessment such as copying, cheating and plagiarism, and all other dishonest practice. EIT will treat academic misconduct seriously. Section 11 of the Academic Statute lists the penalties for academic misconduct. Penalties range from a warning through to suspension from the programme. All instances of academic misconduct are reported. Please refer to this link for more information.
Marking Schedule

Performance criteria Levels of achievement Mark
Excellent Accomplished Capable Needs improvement
Diary Entries There have been regular weekly or more diary entries over the season There have been consistent diary entries, most weeks over the season There been sufficient diary entries into the diary over season There have no, few or sporadic entries into the diary over the growing season /15
15- 12 12-9 9–7.5 7.5-0
Response to Feed back Responded promptly to feedback Responded to feedback Responded to most feedback Responded to less than half or none of the feedback /15
15- 12 12-9 9–7.5 7.5-0
Diary Content All of the entries are entered correctly with the date and a brief heading Most of the entries are entered correctly with the date and a brief heading Some of the entries are entered correctly with the date and a brief heading Few or none of the entries are entered correctly with the date and a brief heading 50
10-8 8-7 7-5 5-0
Highly detailed descriptions of the different tasks that have been undertaken are recorded and high-quality pictures are provided A detailed description of the different tasks that have been undertaken are recorded and pictures are provided A basic description of the different tasks that have been undertaken are recorded and a few pictures are supplied A lack of detail or no detail is given and no pictures are used to present the information
20–16 16– 12 12 –10 10 - 0
Highly detailed descriptions of what has been observed in the vineyard is given and high-quality pictures are provided. Statistics are discussed appropriately. Detailed descriptions of what has been observed in the vineyard is given and high pictures are provided. Statistics are discussed appropriately. Basic descriptions of what has been observed in the vineyard is given and high-quality pictures are provided. Some statistics are discussed appropriately. Partial or no descriptions of what has been observed in the vineyard is given and no quality pictures are provided. No Statistics are discussed.
20–16 16– 12 12 –10 10 - 0
Data Collection Data has been recorded onto a spreadsheet and instructions have been followed. The data is in a logical format and is easy to follow and is professional. Statistical analysis is used appropriately and professionally. Data has been recorded onto a spreadsheet and instructions have been followed. The data can be understood easily. Statistical analysis is used correctly.
Data has been recorded onto a spreadsheet and instructions have been followed. The data can be understood
Some statistical analysis is used.
Data has been not recorded onto a spreadsheet and instructions have not been followed. Little or no statistics used. /20
20–16 16– 12 12 –10 10 - 0
Total
Weighted mark
/50
50