New tool launches to support frost risk management in vineyards
18th March 2025
A UK frost forecasting and management research project has released a Bud Burst Model to capture data from across the country by grape variety.
The Bud Burst Model will assist the research team in providing granular, site and variety-specific frost risk forecasts, which will in turn enable vineyard managers to make more informed, targeted and sustainable choices when responding to frost events.
A link to Bud Burst Hub app, which feeds into the model, is being distributed to UK vineyards to ascertain the geographic spread of budburst, using the data to show how the timing of this critical stage in the vine’s growth cycle differs by region and grape variety, WineGB confirmed.
The launch is part of a two-year Innovate UK and Defra-funded research project led by weather forecasting provider WeatherQuest and supported by agri-tech facilitator UK Agri-Tech Centre, land-based education provider Plumpton College, vineyard and winery consultancy Vinescapes, vineyard monitoring solution Vinewatch, and WineGB, the trade body for the English and Welsh wine industry.
Capturing data on budburst is important for several reasons. By recording the timing of budburst, vine growers can identify when their vines will be most vulnerable to frost damage and can take preventative action to protect their crop, such as using frost fans or sprinklers.
Recording budburst dates also allows for better vineyard management and vine care, such as planning when to carry out tasks such as pruning, spraying, and canopy management.
Timing of budburst
Budburst dates can also provide an early indication of the growing season timeline and when grapes are likely to reach maturity for harvest. The timing of budburst also influences the important growth stages of the vine.
If budburst is early or late, a vineyard manager can adapt their practices to provide the optimum conditions for the grapes to achieve phenolic ripeness during the growing season.
Finally, budburst data can allow viticulturists to monitor the effects of climate change and establish key trends within their own vineyard. An earlier or later budburst could indicate shifts in climate patterns, which may require adjustments to vineyard practices or grape variety selection.
Similarly, charting budburst dates across multiple years can improve long-term vineyard management strategies and help optimise the vineyard’s performance.
Creating smarter frost forecasting
Professor Steve Dorling, head of innovation at WeatherQuest, said: “The weather strongly influences budburst dates, but we need help from the wine community to continue testing and refining our budburst prediction models.
“Combining this with forecasts of frost and frost type makes for a powerful end-to-end decision support system for vineyard teams.”
Alistair Nesbitt, CEO of Vinescapes, which has worked to create the Budburst Model and Bud Burst Hub app, and chair of the WineGB R&D Working Group, added: “This is such a great opportunity for the UK wine sector to work together to create smarter frost forecasting.
“The more data we get the better the model will be so please help us help you by entering your budburst dates, it just takes a few seconds, we’ll do the rest.”
‘Another very important step’
Ian Beecher-Jones, owner of JoJo’s Vineyard which is part of the research project, explained that the app is easy to use for recording budburst at JoJo’s.
“There are many ways in which we could record budburst dates, but this app will allow me to better understand what is going on across the country compared to our vineyard. GPS-located data is the only true way of getting constructive insights to what is going on in a vineyard.”
Paul Jellicoe, Managing Director of Vinewatch, concluded: “Frost mitigation information is fractured and largely anecdotal. This app is another very important step to help managers get truly meaningful data. With this, they will be able to make properly informed decisions about their environment.”
