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All
vines, both scion (budwood) and rootstock are hydroponically
grown in a soil-less, volcanic rock substrate keeping disease
risks to a minimum. All the hydroponic solutions are mixed on
site in Boulevarde Nurseries Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory
to exacting criteria. The solution is applied to the crop by
means of a Ferti- Irrigation Computer.
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The
technique of green micro-grafting of grapevines, initially developed
in France and licensed in Australia to Boulevarde Nurseries, requires
constant supplies of glasshouse-grown, high quality propagation
material.
Having seen and studied the French system in the mid 1990s Boulevarde
Nurseries joint managing directors Alan Saunders and Paul Croxton,
decided to use the same glasshouse facilities in Australia.
The Aurora glasshouse is Italian-designed and Italian-constructed
at the small village of Albenga, 70 kilometres north of Genoa.
The whole village is devoted to the manufacture of glasshouse
and associated equipment such as computers, irrigation and fertigation
systems, heating equipment etc.
The Aurora glasshouse has number of features that help to provide
an ideal environment for rapid growth of grapevines. Ventilation
is provided through vertically opening side panels and roof sections,
which open completely to provide 70% venting. In conjunction with
a very high structure - five metres to the gutters and another
1.5 metres to the ridge - convection air movement enable hot air
to expel efficiently through the roof vents. |
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