New frost forecasting to help UK vineyards keep their cool

While some winemakers might claim that a late April freeze is character-building, the reality is that frost damage can decimate yields and ruin a season before it has even properly begun. However, help is at hand: a new Bud Burst Model has been launched to assist UK vineyard managers in forecasting and managing frost risk more effectively.

The model is part of a two-year research project funded by Innovate UK and Defra and led by WeatherQuest, with support from the UK Agri-Tech Centre, Plumpton College, Vinescapes, Vinewatch and WineGB. The initiative aims to provide vineyard managers with more detailed, site-specific frost forecasts, helping them make informed and sustainable decisions when dealing with frost events.

A data-driven approach to frost management

At the heart of the project is the Bud Burst Hub app, which allows vineyard managers to record the timing of budburst across different regions and grape varieties. The data collected will be used to refine the Bud Burst Model, offering growers better insights into when their vines are most vulnerable to frost damage and enabling them to take timely preventative action.

Professor Steve Dorling, head of innovation at WeatherQuest, explains: “The weather strongly influences budburst dates, but we need help from the wine community to continue testing and refining our budburst prediction models. Combining this with forecasts of frost and frost type makes for a powerful end-to-end decision support system for vineyard teams.”

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