Michael Paxton on Precision Irrigation at Quelltaler Vineyards

At Quelltaler Vineyards in Watervale, Vineyard Manager Michael Paxton knows this reality first-hand:

“When you’ve got [water] you want to use it as conservatively or as well as you can. I’m looking for any edge I can to understand how well I’m using it so I can get the best value out of every litre of water we put on the vineyard.”

To meet these challenges, Quelltaler adopted SWAN Systems, a platform that integrates soil moisture data, weather forecasts, and water budgets in one place. The result has been greater confidence and clarity in irrigation management.

Michael explains that SWAN has given him “a lot more confidence with what’s actually going on in the vineyard as a whole. It’s an extremely powerful system.” During the growing season, he was logging in multiple times a week: “It gave us a clear snapshot of what was happening across the vineyard and what needed attention.”

With SWAN, Michael and his team can:

• Plan with confidence using water budgets that track allocations against seasonal demand
• Optimise irrigation timing with recommendations informed by field data and weather forecasts
• Act early in tough conditions, especially during heatwaves and dry spells
• Maintain consistent fruit quality, supporting Quelltaler’s goal of producing more A-grade winegrapes

As Michael puts it:

“What we’re trying to achieve here is improving all of our fruit quality to A-grade and then maintaining it. SWAN can help us with both achieving it and certainly maintaining it.”