Deficit irrigation is not just for controlling canopy size. A Washington State wine company sees potential in using deficit irrigation to “stylize” grapes in the field, providing its winemakers with different blending options from the same vineyard. Washington wine grape growers already use deficit irrigation to save labor costs, but Dr. Russell Smithyman believes the irrigation strategy can be taken a step further. Taking water deficit to the next level, growers can go beyond saving money by eliminating the task of removing basal leaves to open up the fruiting zone, he said. “By turning water off—something that’s easy to do—you […]