• DEVELOPMENT
  It is important at this early stage to consider all the factors that may have a bearing on costs. Lower-priced products may seem appealing at the outset but there may be a price to pay in handling efficiencies and OHS factors. For example, selection of low quality wire will invariably result in tangles and running out problems. Similarly, cheap posts may have insufficient strength and flexibility to withstand crop loads and machinery impacts.
• MANAGEMENT
  A versatile trellis system will allow manipulation of the growing variables, canopy management and spraying applications and therefore provide increased productivity benefits and return on investment.
• MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
  Poor quality materials tend to perform inefficiently and result in significant repair and maintenance costs. Selection of products that will enhance management practice, reduce labour inputs and are easy to maintain will provide better value in the long run.
• ENVIRONMENT
  Thought needs to be given to disposing of redundant trellis material which is in the best interests of the environment. Steel trellis materials can be sent or sold to recyclers.

IT’S A LOADED QUESTION

Just like the grapes that are grown on them, there are many varieties of trellis construction in Australian viticulture. But no matter what type of trellis design you select and employ in your location, the loads that have to be carried by trellis structures are broadly of a similar nature. There are three basic types, all of which need to be taken into consideration when selecting your trellis design:

• Crop load. This type of load covers all the things that the trellis structure has to support. It includes not only fruit, shoots and cordons, but also contributing factors such as yield, design of trellis, training methods, pruning and crop management.
• Fruit load. This type of load is defined as the total fruit weight hanging down from the fruiting/foliage wires. This load is eventually transferred to the trellis post. In most instances the surface area of the post and the friction created by it in the soil will prevent the post from sinking.
• Wind load. This type of load is pretty self explanatory. It is caused by wind blowing onto the canopy. Leverage resulting from the action of the wind is the most common cause of post failure. There are many factors that can have a bearing on trellis structure performance which is subject to wind loading. Factors that can affect your choice of trellis design include trellis height, expected weight of foliage and application of additional loads such as bird netting.

WARATAH® STRAINER ASSEMBLIES

Waratah strainer assemblies are versatile, cost effective and easy to handle and install. The range includes Waratah® Anchor-Fast®, Waratah® Adjusta-Stay® and Waratah® H-Post® strainer kits. Waratah strainer assemblies offer significant cost and labour savings and can help to maximise vineyard efficiency when constructing and maintaining a vineyard.

SUMMARY POINTS – WARATAH STRAINER ASSEMBLIES

• Saves 75% of the labour time needed with traditional wire tie-back methods.
• Safer and simpler than traditional methods – easy to assemble and comes ready to use in kit form.
• No bending or twisting of wires or digging minimises the risk of strain and injury.
• Maintenance can be easily carried out thanks to trouble free re-tensioning capability.

A VARIETY OF WINE AND TRELLIS THAT COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER PERFECTLY

Chris Densley takes pride in being at the forefront of wine innovation. And, as the manager of Southcorp “Cumbandry” vineyard in Mudgee, he has good reason to feel this way. The vineyard contributes to the shiraz/cabernet blend, “Mountain Blue”, which is the flagship wine for the region. Not one to stand on tradition, Chris also believes in keeping the vineyard at the cutting edge of technology. Since the 500 hectare vineyard was established in 1997, the focus has been very much on high performance through employing the latest and most innovative methods of growing grapes.
Chris says he will readily adopt new technology as long as it promises to lift quality and reduce costs. “We are now moving away from traditional high maintenance trellis components to ones which require much less repair and maintenance work,” he said. “Until three years ago the vineyard had always used timber posts, but then we decided to trial Waratah® Gripfast® posts and Anchor-Fast® end assembly tie-backs. 15 hectares of trellising has now been erected with this system. The test under weight bearing fruit has seen the Gripfast posts performing to expectations.
“The trellis system that is being replaced suffers from broken wires, broken wooden posts and failed end assemblies. A lot of labour and dollars are involved in maintaining this trellis system across a 500 hectare vineyard.” Incorporating Waratah products will make the vineyard much more efficient, he says. “The Gripfast posts have less failure and the Anchorfast tie-backs that we use with strainer posts are much easier to use than the

traditional wire method. They are quicker to install and you don’t have a lot of wire floating around during installation, which can result in injury. This makes the installation much faster and safer, which saves a lot in labour costs.
“A vineyard this size needs to be run like a well-oiled machine. It’s important to be cost and time efficient in the increasingly competitive wine market.”

“We are now moving away from traditional high maintenance trellis components to ones which require much less repair and maintenance work.”

INTERMEDIATE POSTS

CONSIDERATIONS
When choosing trellis posts it is important to consider all the factors that may have a bearing on costs. With posts accounting for 20% of vine establishment costs, cheaper priced products may seem appealing at the purchase stage. However, poor quality materials tend to perform inefficiently and result in significant repair and maintenance costs. Cheap posts may also have insufficient strength and flexibility to withstand crop loads and machinery impacts. So in the long run, their higher breakage rates will quickly wipe out the initial savings made on their purchase cost, as the table below illustrates.

Note. Posts per ha vary from 556/ha (two wire vertical /planting creo 3.0m x 2.0m) to 667/ha (vertical shoot position /
planting creo 2.5m x 1.5m). Average of 570/ha is used for this comparison. Average of 70c savings of budget posts (per
unit). Average replacement cost for broken posts @ $30 each (incl. labour).

• Amount of foliage
• Crop yield
• Severity and frequency of wind gusts
• Shielding from wind
• Loading imposed during harvesting and pruning
• Compactness of soil around the post
• Moisture of the soil
• Trellis height – maximum 1.8m
• Deep ripping
• Corrosion
• Use of netting or other covers for bird and frost protection

Where excessive factors are in play or are expected, they may exceed the physical limitation of some posts. Careful
consideration and trellis design will determine the right posts for your situation.

WARATAH® GRIPFAST® POSTS®

FEATURES AND BENEFITS
Maximum support

• Made from strong, heavily galvanized Australian 1.4mm steel to Australian standards AS 1397 G500 Z450.
  Maximum efficiency
• Unique, six-crescented post profile - withstands loads imposed from any side yet allows sufficient flex during mechanical harvesting and pruning.
• More fruit - the steel profile also allows more efficient mechanical harvesting and pruning right up to the post and will support closer row spacing.

Maximum value

• Cost effective
  - unlike timber will not rot or split
  - simple to install within new developments or existing trellis structures
  - no staples or clips, so there’s no fear of staples falling into the harvester and ending up with the grapes.
• Reduced labour costs
  - as much as $494* installation savings per hectare, on top of reduced maintenance costs.
  * Dependent on trellis design and cost of inputs.
  

Maximum flexibility

• Easily adjustable
  - Unique slot design allows easy adjustment of foliage wires
  - Can be modified at any stage to suit vineyard canopy management requirements.

NB. Waratah Gripfast posts need to be driven well below the level of any ripped soil. Otherwise consider using Waratah Anti-Sink Plates. Eg: deep ripped rows of 900 mm/3ft need to have a 270cm Waratah Gripfast Post installed to achieve a 180cm/6ft high trellis in undisturbed soil. Individual location circumstances are different. You may need to seek further advice from industry contractors and consultants.

SUMMARY POINTS – WARATAH GRIPFAST POSTS

• Made from strong, heavily galvanized virgin Australian steel.
• Withstands loads from any side yet flexes sufficiently during mechanical harvesting and pruning.
• Six-crescented design profile allows mechanical harvesting right up to the post and supports closer row spacing.
• No staples or clips means reduced installation costs.
• Unique slot design allows for versatility in managing canopies and easy adjustment of foliage wires.
• Can be used in both new developments and to maintain existing trellis structures for increased productivity.

TRELLIS WIRE

WARATAH® LONGLIFE™ GROWIRE®

The corrosive effects of fertilisers, chemical sprays and dense foliage can be extremely harsh on a trellis wire. So to ensure your trellis wire will last as long as the vine, Waratah Longlife Growire features a unique double coating of
anti-corrosive protection.

WARATAH GROWIRE LONGLIFE CAN TAKE THE PRESSURE
A trellis wire also undergoes considerable and continual strains. To stand up to the pressures of heavy crop loadings, temperature variations and mechanical harvesting and pruning, Waratah Longlife Growire has a high breaking strain thanks to its exceptional tensile strength. All of which is why Waratah Longlife wire comes with a lifetime guarantee.* So when you build a trellis with this new generation wire, rest assured it won’t let you down.

WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS
Waratah Longlife Growire is available in a wide range of sizes to suit the design and expected yield requirements of your trellis. It can be installed in all trellis applications such as table and wine grape vineyards. Waratah Longlife Growire Dripper Wire (2.00mm) provides adequate support for dripper lines and is protected with Waratah Longlife technology. Waratah Longlife Growire 2.65mm provides general foliage support. Waratah Longlife Growire 2.85mm is designed to support foliage and fruiting. Waratah Longlife Growire 3.15mm is purpose made for heavy fruiting.

INSTALLATION MADE EASY WITH THE WARATAH® WIRE SPINNER
Waratah Longlife Growire is specially designed for easy pay-out from the coil. Using Waratah Longlife Growire in a Waratah® 3-Way or Double Wire Spinner increases the speed of pay-out and solves the problem of tangles often associated with other trellis wires. (This is why some contractors may charge more if Waratah Growire is not specified.)

SUMMARY POINTS – WARATAH LONGLIFE GROWIRE

• Longlife protective coating provides maximum corrosion protection.
• High tensile strength provides high breaking strain.
• Lifetime guarantee.*
• Designed for easy pay-out – no tangled mess to deal with.
• Available in a wide range of sizes to suit particular yield requirements.

WARATAH® TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES

Waratah make a range of tools and accessories that are designed to provide fast and effective solutions to both the establishment and maintenance of fencing and trellis systems. They integrate across the range of Waratah products and are made to the same exacting standards of quality and consistency.

Made with alloy casing and stainless steel springs, Waratah Jumbo Gripple joiners have ceramic rollers that can securely grip the wire. The Jumbo Gripple makes wire joining and tensioning a breeze and saves you time and money. The speed, strength and safety of the Jumbo Gripple make it a valuable tool to keep trellis wire strained to perform.

• Speed – up to 6 times faster than traditional trellis installation and maintenance methods.
• Strength – super hard ceramic roller locking technology for the ultimate non-slip grip.
• Safety – safe working loads and no bending or twisting required when joining and terminating wires.

NEW WARATAH® GRIPPLE ‘GEAR DRIVE’ TENSIONING TOOL
The new Waratah Gripple ‘Gear Drive’ tensioning tool is in
a class of its own. It delivers a 6:1 mechanical advantage that can generate up to 400kg/4kN of tension. It has been achieved through state-of-the-art CAD design and expert selection of a hi-performance engineering-grade polymer. This brilliant tool also has excellent ergonomics - it’s strong and compact and weighs only 750gm, making it easier to handle, operate and carry.
APPLICATIONS
The Waratah Gripple ‘Gear Drive’ tensioning tool grips wire
and allows the Waratah Jumbo Gripple to be moved,
allowing tension and adjustments. It can be used with all
Waratah Gripple Joiners and tensioners for fence, trellis and
prefabricated wires. It is also suitable for use with wire rope
in the Waratah® Anchor Fast® and H-Post® kits.

Below:

The Waratah Gripple tool in operation

SUMMARY POINTS – WARATAH TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES

• Innovative range of trellising tools made to the highest standards and built to last.
• Designed to make trellis construction and maintenance quicker, simpler and safer.
• Effectively construct trellises with reduced labour costs.
• Range includes Waratah Wizard Wire Strainer, Waratah GalStar Post Driver, Waratah 3-Way and Double Wire
  Spinner, Waratah Jumbo™ and Medium Gripple®, Waratah Gripple Tool, Waratah Tenser Senser and Waratah® Tie Wire Reel.

© Steve Cselka 2002 - 2011