Syngenta Growth Awards Regional Winner Nigel Blieschke Leads the Charge in Sustainable Viticulture and Soil Health at Torbreck Wines
Improving the way we manage our soils is crucial for the sustainability of our agricultural practices and the health of our environment. Nigel Blieschke, a recently announced Syngenta Growth Awards Regional Winner, has been working with Torbreck Wines in South Australia for nearly eight years, and one of his key focuses has been on soil health and vine health.
Nigel and his team are constantly looking for ways to improve their practices and build their soil health, vine health, and quality, especially in financially or climatically tough times. Nigel and his team have worked with Italian consultants to improve their pruning practices and try to eliminate trunk diseases from their vineyards and have set up the vines so that they don't have to rework the vineyards again. However, Nigel knows that building soil health is an ongoing process, and they have put out 9,000 cubic meters of mulch since 2016. They are also looking to maximise their mid rows, using undervine weeding technology and direct seeding to get organic matter into the soil.
Nigel's dedication to soil health and vine health is admirable, and he knows that there are opportunities to keep trying to improve the way we manage our soils. He is open to sharing the information he has gained and encourages the next generation to be excited about viticulture.
“I’m very open to allowing people to come and visit and look at what we’re doing. It’s easier to show people what you’re doing, than to tell people what to do, and so I am always very happy to demonstrate practices,” said Nigel.
“I spend a lot of time with our customers talking about what they do in their vineyards, and I have an audience from all over the world who engage with the content I share on social media.”
The company vineyards have invested a lot of money in sustainable practices, including new trellis, undervine mulch, and composts. They are now fine-tuning and looking to maximise the quality of their younger vineyards. The quality of the wine coming out of Torbreck is already benefiting from their efforts. Nigel is confident that going forward, they will be able to deliver on all the work they have done. For him, it's about keeping their wine quality up, which will hold them in good stead if they're heading into a tough dry period.
However, the biggest challenge for Nigel and his team is the weather. They are preparing for another dry period and have already replaced their irrigation systems with good irrigation technology. They are looking at water regimes and mulching and have a lot of things in place to be able to react to whatever comes at them weather-wise.
Nigel Blieschke's dedication to sustainable practices, improving the quality of the wine, and building soil and vine health is impressive. His willingness to share his knowledge and experience with others is inspiring, and his involvement with industry organizations and social media shows his commitment to the industry.
With Nigel's leadership and expertise, Torbreck Wines is well-positioned to face the challenges of the future. There are opportunities to keep trying to improve the way we manage our soils, and Nigel and his team are committed to finding ways to build soil health, vine health, and yields, even in tough times.
