Vinay Pagay

Dr Vinay Pagay

Senior Lecturer

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


I am a viticulture researcher and educator based at the Waite Campus of the University of Adelaide. I received my doctorate in 2014 from Cornell University where I worked on developing sensors for measuring plant and soil water status.

My current research is in the area of grapevine ecophysiology with a particular focus on how the environment influences vine performance and productivity. My research places considerable emphasis on modeling the interactions between environment, especially water availability, and grapevines to predict their growth and yield under changing climatic conditions. My research also seeks to understand how biotic (e.g. virus infections) and abiotic (e.g. drought) stresses affect grapevine physiological performance and productivity.

I am also working in the areas of proximal and remote sensing of vineyards, and to use this high spatial and temporal resolution information to improve our ability to manage vineyards using variable rate inputs.

Grapevine Ecophysiology:
  • Inter- and intra-vine abiotic stress signalling in grapevine
  • Understanding the physiological limitations to enhanced transpiration efficiency in order to improve leaf-scale water use efficiency (WUE)
  • Deficit irrigation strategies to reduce night transpiration and improve WUE
  • Mitigation of heat stress in grapevines 
Advanced Sensing Technologies in Vineyards:
  • Detection of biotic and abiotic stresses in grapevines using proximal and remote sensing techniques
  • Continuous in situ measurements of crop water status

VITICULT 2500WT - Viticultural Science II

OENOLOGY 3530WT - Engineering for Viticulture and Oenology

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Principal Supervisor Evaluating Hemp ('Cannabis sativa') as a vineyard cover crop to enhance soil health Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Miss Kirsty Michelle Harkness
    2023 Principal Supervisor Characterising Physiological and Biochemical Traits in Shiraz Grapevines of Varying Vine Age in Barossa Valley Geographical Indication Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Grace Puspita Prayogo
    2022 Co-Supervisor Development of biochar-based nutrient recycling technology for enhancing nutrient retention and grapevine productivity in vineyard soils Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Yijia He
    2022 Co-Supervisor Characterisation and Optimisation of Pyroligneous Acid Properties for Agricultural Applications Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Duc Huy Hung Nguyen
    2019 Principal Supervisor Unmanned Aerial Systems-Based Remote Sensing for Monitoring Growth and Development of Underutilized Crops Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Mr Shaikh Yassir Yousouf Jewan
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 - 2024 Principal Supervisor Navigating Water Stress in Vineyards: Insights From Water Management Strategies and Hydraulic and Chemical Signalling Under Soil Moisture Deficit Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Rochelle Schlank
    2020 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Cover Crops, Carbon Dynamics and the Ecological Intensification of Vineyards – A View From Under the Vine Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Joseph Nicholas John Marks
    2020 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Inter-vine Signalling via Plant Volatiles Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Joanah Midzi
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Detection of grapevine viral diseases in Australian vineyards using remote sensing and hyperspectral technology Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yeniu Wang
    2019 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Physiological Events that Underlie Cell Death and Shrinkage in the Grape Berry Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Lishi Cai
    2018 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Evaluating Diagnostics and Mitigation of Smoke Exposure in Grapes and Wine Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Colleen Szeto
    2018 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Investigating Grape Heterogeneity Effects on Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Chemical and Sensory Characteristics using Chemometrics and Machine Learning Models Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Claire Elizabeth Jane Armstrong
    2018 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Understanding Spatiotemporal Patterns of Chemical Attributes in ‘Vitis vinifera’ L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyards in Central California as a Basis for Predicting Fruit Composition Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Brent Shipley Sams
    2018 - 2023 Co-Supervisor The Role of Gamma-aminobutyric acid and Hydrogen peroxide in Cell Death in Grape Berry Development Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Chethana Gowder Shekharappa
    2016 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Pre-breeding of an Indigenous Crop in Australia, Kunzea pomifera (muntries): Horticultural Production and Genetic Diversity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Chi Mai Do
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2015 - ongoing Member Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology Australia
    2015 - ongoing Member Australian Society of Horticultural Science Australia
    2014 - ongoing Member American Society of Horticultural Science Australia
    2012 - ongoing Member International Society of Horticultural Science Australia
    2009 - ongoing Member American Society of Enology and Viticulture Australia
  • Position: Senior Lecturer
  • Phone: 83130773
  • Email: vinay.pagay@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: Waite
  • Building: Wine Innovation Central, floor Level Four
  • Room: 4.28
  • Org Unit: Agricultural Science

Connect With Me
External Profiles