Artificial UV light gives vines at Telford vineyard a boost
Vines at a Shropshire vineyard have become the first in the UK to be boosted with UV light technology.
Veenow Vineyard, near Telford, has begun using UV lamps mounted on tractor-drawn equipment to treat rows of vines. While UV light is already common in greenhouses and even for maintaining football turf, this is one of the first attempts to deploy the technology outdoors on farmland in the UK.
The system, which costs around £60,000, produces light so strong that workers must remain at least 25 metres away during operation. Early results suggest that vines treated with UV light develop larger, darker leaves, with growers reporting stronger chlorophyll and healthier plants.
Speaking to the BBC, Rob Greenow of Veenow Vineyards claimed he can tell that "with the UV vines the chlorophyll is stronger" and that "the green area on the leaf is just darker."
Rob claims that the system has reduced the vineyard’s use of fungicides and has also been deployed to help protect plants from frost.
The French company behind the system is helping to track all the data from this year's plants and harvest to get a sense of how useful the system will be for English growers.
If the projected savings hold, Greenow estimates the system could pay for itself within three years.
"We're confident we'll see the benefit when it's in the bottle," he added, claiming that other local vineyards have been interested in the system too.
Do you think UV light tech is the future of British wine? Let us know in the comments!
