Fowles Wine Activates $500K Grant to Go Into Bat for Aussie Viticulture, Safeguarding Against Costly Pests
Strathbogie Ranges, VIC – Fowles Wine is gaining momentum with its pioneering ‘BatNav’ natural pest control system that could transform farming practices globally and ultimately save Australia’s wine industry $50 million per annum. Supported by a $500,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant, this groundbreaking Project is now the subject of a compelling new online docuseries tracking its journey from concept to reality.
‘Watch the Fowles BatNav Trailer here’
A Game-Changer for Sustainable Viticulture
Fowles Wine’s world-first BatNav Project utilises a series of interventional structures strategically placed throughout the vineyard to guide microbat populations – tiny insect-eating bats – deeper into vineyards, maximising their consumption of common pests including light brown apple moths, beetles and other agricultural nuisances that cause costly destruction.
Microbats use echolocation, a sophisticated form of sonar, to navigate and hunt in the dark. However, as they venture further into vineyards away from remnant vegetation, their ability to echolocate diminishes due to lack of vertical structures. The BatNav system leverages this natural behaviour by creating structures that reflect and manipulate echolocation signals, guiding microbats into pest-rich zones.
“Microbats are voracious predators – capable of eating their body weight in pests every night,” explains Fowles Wine CEO Matt Fowles. “Despite their ecological significance, their populations have been reducing due to habitat destruction and pesticide exposure. Our system helps reverse this trend while providing natural pest control.”
From Research to Reality
The Project builds on extensive research conducted with the University of New England (UNE), which identified 12 different microbat species in the Strathbogie Ranges vineyards and documented their feeding habits.
“We now have the dataset to back our intuition and can confidently go full steam ahead in achieving our vision,” says Matt Fowles. “The Coles Nurture Fund grant has helped bring to life an Australian-first idea with far-reaching benefits.”
The current phase involves trialling the system across four vineyard sites, with three testing different BatNav prototypes co-developed with Cobalt Design, one of Australia’s leading industrial design agencies.
Beyond the Vineyard
The potential impact extends far beyond viticulture. “We’d love to see this system adopted in vineyards, orchards, market gardens and other pest-prone crops across Australia and the world,” says Matt Fowles. “It represents a genuine win-win for producers and biodiversity.”
Wine lovers also benefit through improved vineyard health, reduced production costs and enhanced wine quality.
Share the Journey
The team has begun capturing the BatNav project’s progress for a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ docuseries, sharing insights and breakthroughs as they occur.
“We are rapt to have a platform to share what we’re learning,” says Matt Fowles. “This isn’t just about our project – it’s about improving understanding, practices and care for the environment across the agricultural sector.”
The BatNav system represents a significant step toward 100% natural pest control, reducing reliance on pesticides while promoting biodiversity. With commercial launch targeted for late 2026, Fowles Wine is leading the charge toward more sustainable agricultural practices that benefit both producers and the planet.