Team : Thermeau

Project managers : 

Context

For several years now, spring frosts have been severely affecting vineyards in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Often occurring late in the season, they strike at a particularly sensitive stage of the vine's growth cycle, when the buds have already burst and the vines are highly vulnerable to drops in temperature. A brief but intense cold spell can then compromise the entire harvest. In order to safeguard their production, many winegrowers have invested in anti-frost towers (TAGs), whose actual effectiveness, environmental impact and social acceptability nevertheless raise questions.

Objectives

The project aims to optimise the use of TAGs, improve their effectiveness, reduce their negative impacts and offer practical tools for winegrowers' collectives, stakeholders in the wine industry and wine-growing regions.

Within the PIAF, the work consists of characterising, under controlled conditions, the effects of radiative frost and anti-frost devices on the resistance of vine buds.

Results

• the production of objective technical references

• the design of tools and methods that can be transposed and generalised

• the co-construction of tools and methods, the improvement of practices based on feedback from wine-growing regions and work carried out in ‘living lab’ mode

• creation of a resource centre on frost in viticulture, available to stakeholders in the sector

The project should also contribute to collective momentum within the sector and within Cuma viticultural groups.

Partners

CUMA Centre-Val de Loire, IFV, VinOpôle Centre-Val de Loire, INRAE UMR OPAALE, ESA d’Angers, Weather Measures, TerraClima, Université de Tours, InterLoire, CEREMA, Université Gustave Eiffel

Fundings

PEI Centre-Val de Loire