Melbourne School of Land and Environment

Sonja Needs

Position:

Research Assistant

Location:

 Parkville, Room 218

Address:

LFR (Parkville), The University of Melbourne, 3010

Phone:

+61-416041729

Fax:

+61-3- 8344 5037

Email:

sneeds@unimelb.edu.au

Research

Recent funded projects and consultancies

Recent Publications

Needs, S. and Trought, M. 2008. FARMVIEW – Post-frost management of grape vines. Department of Primary Industries .
A DVD of the frost seminar presentations by Sonja Needs and Dr. Michael Trought has been produced and is available by contacting Kieran Murphy at the DPI in Victoria. kieran.murphy@dpi.vic.gov.au.

Needs S, Dunn G, Trought M.C.T, Barlow E.W.R, (2007) An investigation into managing season 2006 frost events in the Goulburn, Yarra Valley & Strathbogie Ranges wine regions Poster paper. 13th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, Adelaide, 28 July – 2 August.

Watt, A. M., Trought M.C.T, Needs S,  May P.B., Dunn G. M. and Barlow E. W. R, (2007) Differentation of inflorecence primordia in latent buds and the development of bunch architecture in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon Blanc grown in Marlborough, New Zealand. Poster paper. 13th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, Adelaide, 28 July – 2 August.

Wheaton, A.D., Cooley, N., Dunn, G., Goodwin, I., Needs, S., (2007) Evaluation of infrared thermography to determine the crop water status of Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines. Poster paper. 13th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, Adelaide, 28 July – 2 August.

Collins, B.C, Barlow, E.W.R. and Needs, S. (2006) Soil factors and their influence on within-vineyard Shiraz grape and wine composition. Proceedings of the 6th International Cool Climate Symposium, 5-10th February 2006, Christchurch, New Zealand (poster).

Collins, M.J., Barlow, E.W.R., Wood, R.E., Kelley, G., Needs, S. (2004)  PRD: A response to irrigation type or water level?-A case-study in North-Eastern Victoria. Aust. Grapegrower and Winemaker 490:58-62.

Teaching

Demonstrating 1st year Chemistry
Co-ordinating Emerging Issues in Land Resources
Co-ordinating Australia in the Wine World, Parkville

Other professional interests

Current Project Outline: Improved Frost Management

Climate change induced global warming is likely to advance grapevine phenolgy, including budburst. However, along with elevated temperatures models also predict drier spring conditions which may expose many of cultivars and regions to increased frost risk.

There is a lack of definitive information on grapevine recovery responses to frost. One also has to consider how to best manage the vines to maintain yield in the following season and ensure good canopy structure. This project will allow us to dramatically improve our understanding of vine responses to frost for a whole range of cultivars.

The proportion of primary and secondary shoots will be quantified by assessing shoot phyllotaxy.  Shoot fertility will be assessed and bunches will be collected to assess aspects of bunch architecture, including berries per shoot. These results will be compared with results from the previous smaller survey conducted in 2003. Yield forecasts will be made and yield and its components assessed at harvest.

A range of management response treatments have been employed in the Goulburn Valley, the Strathbogie region and the Yarra Valley. These treatments will be monitored for the remainder of this season and during next season. An analysis of these results along with a literature survey and the collation of industry expert knowledge will be used to develop a set of guidelines for the management of grapevines after frost events. The guidelines will consider the timing and severity of the frost event, the extent of damage, cultivar differences and vine pruning systems

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