This award honours an outstanding Author(s) of a paper published in the AJGWR in the previous twelve months where the potential application of the research on viticultural practices is deemed by an industry/science-based panel to have the most impact.
| 2024 | Dr Guiseppe Di Vita, University of Catania, Italy | |
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| The judges chose Dr Di Vita's paper because it is excellent foundation research with an unambigous conclusion which provides decision metrics that can be actively adopted by the viticultural industry. It is highly topical as the industry enters a phase of reviewing viability of reworking, persisting and or replant decisions. From Roots to Leaves: Understanding Consumer Acceptance in Implementing Climate-Resilient Strategies in Viticulture |
| 2023 | Dr Cristina Lazcano, University of California in Davis USA | |
 | Assessing the short-term effects of no-till on crop yield, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil C and N pools in a cover-cropped, biodynamic Mediterranean vineyard. The paper was published as a special issue for the 18th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference at which Lazcano presented. Lazcano’s paper showed that using a no tillage regime in vineyards is feasible for climate mitigation. The judging panel said the paper was important because it improves understanding of the soil ecological interactions responsible for carbon sequestration as well as nutrient availability and nutrient retention in agroecosystems. | |
| 2022 | Matthew Ayres, SARDI | |
 | Matthew Ayres, from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) for the paper titled: ‘Critical timing of fungicide application for pruning wound protection to control grapevine trunk diseases’ https://doi.org/10.1111/ajgw.12517 The award selection committee said with climate change leading to increased temperature and moisture, the conditions for pruning are becoming even more favourable to fungal development. The majority of the late 90’s boom vineyards are now more susceptible to disease due to the need for bigger cuts or reworking. Vines are our assets and knowledge, and management of trunk disease is more important than ever. The knowledge developed from this paper about the length of time to which apply pruning wound fungicide gives viticulturists more confidence in how to enact their practices. | |
| 2021 | Dr M. Bonada SARDI | |
| Impact of low rainfall during dormancy on vine productivity and development | |
| 2020 | Dr Rob Walker Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) | |
| Walker, R., Blackmore, D., Clingeleffer, P., Holt, H., Pearson, W. and Francis, I. (2019), Effect of rootstock on yield, grape composition and wine sensory attributes of Shiraz grown in a moderately saline environment. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 25: 414-429. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajgw.12409 | |
| 2019 | Dr Zhenhua Cui UC Davis | |
| Cui, Z. , Agüero, C. , Wang, Q. and Walker, M. (2019), Validation of micrografting to identify incompatible interactions of rootstocks with virus‐infected scions of Cabernet Franc. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 25: 268-275. doi:10.1111/ajgw.12385 | |
| 2018 | Dr. Catherine Wanjiru Clarke Agriculture Victoria Research Division | |
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| Clarke, C., Wigg, F., Norng, S. and Powell, K. (2017) Effectiveness of sodium hypochlorite as a disinfestation treatment against genetically diverse strains of grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) Read more |
| 2017 | Dr Mark Sosnowski South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) | |
| , , , and ( 2017) Developing pruning wound protection strategies for managing Eutypa dieback. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 23: 103– 111. doi: 10.1111/ajgw.12254. Read more | |
| 2016 | Dr Joaquim Bellvert Institute of Research, AgriFood & Technology (IRTA) | |
| , , , , , and ( 2016) Vineyard irrigation scheduling based on airborne thermal imagery and water potential thresholds. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 22: 307– 315. doi: 10.1111/ajgw.12173. | ||
| 2015 | Dr Gareth Hill University of Tasmania | |
| Hill, G. , Evans, K. , Beresford, R. and Dambergs, R. (2014), Botrytis bunch rot quantification methods. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 20: 432-441. doi:10.1111/ajgw.12101 | ||
| 2014 | Dr Jason Smith Charles Sturt University | |
| Smith, J. , Schmidtke, L. , Müller, M. and Holzapfel, B. (2014), Rapid nutrient analysis of grapevine petioles. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 20: 299-309. doi:10.1111/ajgw.12072 | ||
| 2013 | Dr Katherine Evans University of Tasmania | |
| Saito, S. , Dunne, K. , Evans, K. , Barry, K. , Cadle‐Davidson, L. and Wilcox, W. (2013), Quantification of Botrytis cineraea. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 19: 68-73. doi:10.1111/ajgw.12011 | |
| 2012 | Dr Victor Sadras SARDI | |
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| Sadras, V. and Moran, M. (2012), Elevated temperature decouples anthocyanins and sugars in berries of Shiraz and Cabernet Franc. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 18: 115-122. doi:10.1111/j.1755-0238.2012.00180.x |
