The Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture (CRCV) has developed an extension project called Viticare Trials. The aim is to increase adoption of viticultural research through farmer on farm participation. Success has depended on grower groups actively participating in defining the trial aims, methods, objectives and measurements. This has allowed grape growers to apply specific projects for their region and design trials to solve these issues of technology adoption. This participation has produced significant changes in the design of on-farm trials due to important insights into how grape growers evaluate new technology. Viticare trials has successfully applied grower participation as a necessary part of testing technology.

Three key learnings: (1) growers participation is important for the success of the trials, (2) adoption of new technologies is possible only with the strong support of the trials coordinators and (3) regional interest and support play a key role in the success of the trials.