“Wizards” to the rescue: La Trobe’s smoke sensors shield vineyards from bushfire smoke

In a move that could save Australia’s wine industry millions, La Trobe University has unveiled an innovative smoke sensor dubbed the “Wizard.”

The device is specifically designed to protect vineyards from the devastating effects of bushfire smoke.

Deployed across the Grampians, these Wine Industry Smoke Detectors (WISDs) are already making waves. Historically, vineyard owners have faced the tough decision of whether to discard smoke-exposed grapes, often leading to substantial financial losses. During the catastrophic bushfires of 2020, it was revealed that Australian vineyards unnecessarily lost between $100-$150 million worth of grapes due to mistaken concerns over smoke taint.

The WISDs operate by tracking smoke movement and intensity around vineyards. They then provide real-time assessments to growers, advising whether the grapes are at risk of smoke taint and suggesting appropriate winemaking interventions if needed. This breakthrough comes from a decade of research by Professor Ian Porter and his team at La Trobe’s School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, fundamentally changing how viticulturists view smoke exposure.

“Growers think that all smoke causes smoke taint, but data collected by our team has for the first time globally linked the amount of fresh smoke needed in vineyards to smoke taint in the bottle. This has been the Holy Grail of research that’s now being solved,” explained Professor Porter. His team’s findings are pivotal—linking specific smoke quantities to potential taint and debunking longstanding vineyard fears.

The sensor technology, backed by significant funding from Wine Australia and governmental bodies, extends beyond smoke detection. It measures temperature and humidity, incorporating these factors into a comprehensive risk assessment delivered directly to vineyard managers via a mobile app.

Goanna Ag, a leader in Australian agricultural technology, is set to commercialise the WISDs, aiming to expand their use across Australia and potentially globally. “The WISD is an amazing breakthrough for Australian growers and wine producers. It provides the sector with an extremely valuable tool to use during any smoke event to determine whether there is a problem or not”, said Jock Ferguson, Goanna Ag’s Winegrape Business Development Lead.

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