Wine tester

Wine producers will be better equipped to deliver a high-quality harvest, thanks to a new microsensor developed by RMIT University in Australia.

RMIT, funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture (CRCV), collaborated with the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the Cooperative Research Centre for Microtechnology, to develop the microsensor, which allows grape growers to better test for chemical residue levels in their products.

The device provides a rapid, inexpensive method of measuring chemical residues on-site and will aid growers in deciding on safe harvest dates and whether their product complies with market requirements. Such decisions often need to be made quickly, and existing testing methods can be too time-consuming and expensive.

CRCV CEO Jim Hardie said that pesticide residues were a key quality indicator for the Australian wine industry.

'Compliance with Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) is essential in both domestic and export markets and, consequently, technologies such as this microsensor are of considerable interest to the industry,' he said.