A well-established root system is a critical foundation of successful viticulture and the authors felt that compiling all available knowledge and research about vine roots would be of value to the industry.
The book launch took place on the 10th of May at Opstal in Slanghoek and was attended by 120 industry members.
According to Lucinda Heyns from the IGWS who managed the project, one of the key focus areas of the IGWS is knowledge transfer. From interaction with industry, it was evident that the management of vine roots was a knowledge transfer priority. This book, written by experts in the field is a valuable source of information on the topic for anyone working with vineyards as well as students. 'Villa-Monash Academy has a strong focus on training and education and it was a privilege to have them on board as a key sponsor for this project.'
Andre Schreuder from Villa-Monash Academy emphasized the importance of creating resources that can contribute to education and training. 'It is also great to witness how Eben and Dawid, with their years of experience are giving back to industry by communicating their knowledge and by investing time in writing this book.'
Vine Roots is the result of identified industry priorities, researched and written by two veteran technical role players. Special emphasis is placed on classic historical contributions by highly regarded international workers that are not readily available to all. It covers all aspects of grapevine roots, such as the growth, morphology, anatomy, physiology and functions thereof. Furthermore, it also gives a review of methods of root investigations, as well as factors that affect the growth and distribution of grapevine roots. This is followed by a discussion of techniques aimed at the maintenance of grapevine roots in order to make grapevine cultivation in South Africa viable and sustainable.