Gerard Hogan (1), Sally Raphael (2)

Preferred presentation format: Poster

Affiliation(s): Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture (1)
Fuller & Associates (2)

Title: Gerard Hogan Position: Industry Development Leader Organisation: Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture, Waite Campus, ADELAIDE Contact email: Hogan.Gerard@saugov.sa.gov.au phone: 08 8303 9432

Keywords: CRCV, Viticulture, Research, Extension activities, Viticare

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRCV) for Viticulture is Australia’s leading viticultural research provider. The CRCV aims to accelerate quality viticultural management from ‘vine to palate’ ensuring the economic and environmental sustainability of Australia’s grapegrowing industries. Extension is an essential component to achieving this aim and is needed to communicate the outcomes from the CRCV’s extensive research and development programme. The main extension ‘vehicle’ for the CRCV is called Viticare, with Gerard Hogan managing a number of these national projects. Viticare assists in developing rural communities by building grapegrower’s capacities. Some of this means networking with key representatives from industry bodies service providers and Government agencies – those existing organisations who are in regular contact with grapegrowers. The tools for extension to this audience include adult and environmental education and some delivery tools include written communications tools – like a Viticare newsletter, CRCV newsletter, website and fact sheets called Viti-Notes. Other extension is face-to-face and the CRCV has introduced a ‘Talking Technology’ seminar concept involving CRCV researchers attending field days and key industry events and conducting seminars on topics such as the Sustainable use of cover crops, managing for quality and improving irrigation strategies. Hopefully this ‘bridges the gap’ between researchers and grapegrowers and provides a forum for grapegrowers to ask questions about how they can improve their own viticultural practices. The Viticare programme also includes an On Farm Trials project which involves growers conducting trials on their vineyards with the assistance of Viticare experts. This programme teaches growers about conducting trials and provides a mechanism for communicating the latest CRCV outcomes.

Key Learning Points

• National coordinated extension programme in Viticulture
• Builds community capacity by providing a range of new and latest technologies and information from scientific research
• Utilises rural community development processes