Background

Sue began work with MAF in 1985 as a Science Technician based in Greymouth, moving to Marlborough in 1988.  She brings extensive technical experience in field research to the research team through her 22 years as a Technician and now Research Associate.  Sue has worked in a technical capacity in a variety of projects.  These include major projects over the past 10 years on irrigation management of grapes, apples and olives and the impact of cover crops on canopy management and vine water use with the main focus being on plant/soil/water relations.  Sue was involved in early research into biological control of Botrytis in grapes and kiwifruit and the use of target based fungicide spray programmes for disease management in grapes.  Sue also worked on a project investigating CCA in grape posts.  Other areas of past work are carbohydrate partitioning in grapes and the use of fertilisers in establishing grapevines.  A long term project has been the evaluation of various rootstocks for Marlborough conditions.

Experience

The technical management of field research trials including data collection and processing.  Research disciplines include: grapevine physiology, grapevine rootstocks, irrigation management and the use of cover crops.

Current Research

Sue is involved in the project to investigate the impact of soil variability on vine physiology and its influence on fruit composition of Pinot Noir.  Another project is investigating the impact of time of pruning on grapevine yield and fruit composition.  Sue has been involved since 1995 in the project to look at the influence of grape rootstocks on yields and fruit quality.

Publications

• M. Greven, S. Green, B. Robinson, B. Clothier, I. Vogeler, R. Agnew, S. Neal, S. Sivakumaran 2007.
  The impact of CCA Treated Posts in Vineyards on Soil and Ground Water. Water Science and Technology. 56 No 2, 161–168
• Marc Greven, Steve Green, Sue Neal, Brent Clothier, Murray Neal, Greg Dryden and Peter Davidson. (2003)

  Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) to save water and improve Sauvignon Blanc quality? Water Science & Technology. 51 No 1, 9–17.
• Caspari HW, Neal S, Alspach P 2004.

  Partial rootzone drying - a new deficit irrigation strategy for apple? Acta Horticulturae 646: 93-100
• Caspari HW, Neal S, Naylor A, Trought MCT, Tannock S 1996.

  Use of cover crops and deficit irrigation to reduce vegetative vigour of 'Sauvignon Blanc' grapevines in a humid climate. Proceedings for the 4th International Symposium on Cool Climate Viticulture & Enology and the 21st annual meeting of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture/Eastern Section, Inc., 16-20 July 1996, Rochester, N.Y.. Pp. 63-66.