Winemakers turn to smart tech to save vineyards from infestation

Mornington Peninsula wine makers are turning to smartphone technology to track damaging insects and protect their vines from devastating damage.

The Mornington Peninsula wine industry is turning to smartphone technology to track insects and protect vines from devastating damage.

Anyone who finds so-called “amenity” vines, which are generally found in homes or public places for decorative purposes, can record the sighting on the Snap Send Solve app.

These vines are sometimes home to the pesky and damaging phylloxera bug.

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The move is part of Agriculture Victoria’s “Tackling Phylloxera” campaign to protect the region’s multimillion-dollar wine industry from biosecurity threats. Phylloxera can destroy grapevines by feeding on the roots, with up to 70 per cent of vines in Australia susceptible to attack.

Tyson Lewis from the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association and Snap Send Solve founder Danny Gorog. Pic: Snap Send Solve

Tyson Lewis of the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association said the pest was transferable between vines, including in amenity.

Snap Send Solve founder Danny Gorog said reports of the pest would be sent directly to Agriculture Victoria.

“The app uses GPS to discover the precise location of the reporter and is geo-fenced, so that users can only report amenity vines in the areas that the Agriculture Victoria is looking to survey.’’

@IanRoyall