1.2.1 - Grape Growing Approaches Flashcards
Identify the six grape growing approaches
Conventional
Sustainable
Organic
Biodynamic
Regenerative
Precision
Identify the aims of conventional viticulture
Raise production levels
Reduce labor requirements
Resulted in monoculture
Explain how conventional viticulture achieves its aims
Mechanization, chemical inputs, irrigation, and clonal selection
Vineyards kept weed free by ploughing between rows and spraying with herbicides
Use of agrochemicals to control pests and diseases significantly increased
Increased use of mineral fertilizations
Identify advantages of a monoculture
Ability to mechanize work in the vineyard
Reduce competition from other plants
Tend to specific needs of the grape variety planted (irrigation, nutrition, treatments against hazards, pests and diseases) and hence to increase yields while minimizing costs
Identify disadvantages of monoculture
Plants are more prone to diseases and pests and therefore need more treatments or protection, e.g., fungal diseases spread more quickly and all plants are affected simultaneously
Nutrients can be depleted as there is no natural ecosystem to replenish, so more fertilizer applications needed
Residual chemicals from treatments can find their way into groundwater or the air, creating environmental damage
Define ‘sustainable viticulture’
Three themes:
Economic
Social
Environmental sustainability
Identify the aims of sustainable viticulture
Promote the natural ecosystems in the vineyard
Maintain biodiversity
Manage waste
Minimize applications of chemicals and energy use
Reduce the impact of viticulture on the wider environment
Explain how sustainable viticulture achieves its aims
Develop in-depth understanding of the lifecycles of the vine and of vineyard pests and monitor weather forecases so they can predict and prevent a pest or disease outbreak (downy mildew) before it occurs. Not a regular schedule but rather time applications so they have the greatest impact and fewer applications needed
Integrated Pest Management - builds on organic, but prepared to use chemical interventions when necessary.
Regularly monitors scale of potential problems and only intervenes before they reach an economic threshold (level of damage > cost of intervention)
Describe ‘integrated pest management’
Sets thresholds at which action needs to be taken, e.g., pest population reaches a certain level
Ids and monitors pests
Sets up preventive measures
Evaluates and implement control options (if threshold levels are exceeded and preventive measures not effective)
Identify regulatory agencies for sustainable viticulture
LODI Rules
Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand
Sustainable Winegrowing S Africa
Identify the advantages of sustainable viticulture
More thoughtful approach to grape growing with attention to economic, social and environmental impact of viticulture
Deployment of scientific understanding of threats to successful grape growing (pests and diseases) to minimize number of interventions needed
Reduction in spraying of synthetic and traditional treatments
Consequent cost saving that has incented grape growers to work in more sustainable way
Identify the disadvantages of sustainable viticulture
Term is not protected and can be used to promote wine without a clear set of standards
Nationwide standards can set low, e.g. N Zealand has a high rate of uptake for its scheme (virtually all grape growers) and has been praised for reducing amount of pesticides used; however, criticized for setting too low a bar for sustainable certificatieon
Identify the aims for organic viticulture
Improve soils and range of microbes and animals within it and thereby increase health and disease-resistance of vine
Rejects use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides
Identify how organic viticulture achieves its aims
Apply compost that breaks down in the soil, providing a slow release of nutrients for vines, improving the structure of soil, and increasing the biomass in the soil
Use of natural fertilizers to restor natural balance of the vineyard
Cultivation of cover crops to prevent erosion and to contribute to the improvement of life of soil done through green manure or by improving biodiversity
Reduction of monoculture by growing cover crops, planting hedges, establishing ‘islands’ of biodiversity
Define ‘biomass’
the total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area or volume
Define ‘natural fertilizers’
Animal dung, natural calcium carbonate
Identify methods used in the vineyard within organic viticulture
Use traditional remedies such as sulfur and copper sulfate to combat mildews
Monitor weather closely to determine when spraying against mildew is really necessary
Use natural predators and ecosystem mechanisms - bacterium bacillus to protect against grey rot; sexual confusion by using pheromone tags or capsules to disrupt mating patterns of insects such as moths and meal bugs
Identify the regulating bodies of organic viticulture
Exact standards for each organization may be slightly different, although similar principles
All organizations should meet standards set by International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) - universal period that vineyard must undergo a period of conversion working to organic standards before certification)
Identify the cost/benefit of organic viticulture
Extra cost to the production of wine; however, grower may be able to gain an advantage in promoting and selling such wine depending on target customer and market
some studies, slightly lower yields
Additional labor required
Identify regions and their percentages of organic viticulture
2017 - 5.4% of world’s vineyards were certified organic
Europe - 84% of world’s organic viticulture and largest producer and exporter of organic wines
Italy - 15.8% of world’s organic viticulture
New Zealand - 4.3%
USA - 2.7%
Argentina, Chile and South Africa - each less than 2.5%
Largest markets for organic wine - Germany, France, UK, USA, Sweden, Japan
Identify the advantages of organic viticulture
Improve health and disease-resistance of vine
Improve health of soil
Eliminate spraying synthetic chemicals
Save on cost of synthetic chemicals
Identify the disadvantages of organic viticulture
Possible small reduction in yield
Possibility of significant reductions in yield in difficult years (long periods of rainfall or high humidity)
Increased reliance on copper sprays, which lead to buildup of heavy metal in the soils
Cost and time expended on certificateion
Identify the aims for biodynamic viticulture
Organic practices PLUS
Philosophy and cosmology, regarding farms as an organism and seeking to achieve a blance between physical and higher, non-physical realms.
Vineyard soil seen as part of connected system with planet Earth, other planets and the air.
Grape growing practice coincide with the cycles of the planets, moon and stars
Describe how the moon relates to biodynamic viticulture
Moon ascending = summer mood = sap is rising so time to take cuttings for grafting but avoid pruning
Moon descending = winter mood = roots are favored, best time to plant vines or prune
Identify how biodynamic viticulture achieves its aims
Preparations (homeopathic remedies) used to fertilize soil, treat diseases, ward off pests, enahnce and strengthen life forces on the farm
Like organic, use traditional chemicals to spray against disease, including copper and sulfate sprays. Some ashing.
Identify three preparations used in biodynamic viticulture
Prep 500 (horn manure) - stuff cow manure into cow’s horn and bury horn in soil throughout winter; dig it up and dynamize it; spray onto the soil as a homeopathic compost, catalyzing humus formation
Prep 501 (horn silica) - fill a cow’s horn with ground quartz (silica) and bury it for six months. dig it up, dynamize it, and spray onto soil to encourage plant growth
Prep 502-508 (compost) - activate it by a series of starters added in tiny quantities (yarrow, chamomile, nettle, oak bark, dandelion, or valerian prepared in various ways). Assists with decomposition of compost.
Define ‘dynamize’
Stir contents of horn into water, creating a vortex and then reversing it so that the water memorizes the power of the preparation that can be passed onto the vineyard
Identify the regulating bodies for biodynamic viticulture
Demeter sets international standards for farming and animal husbandry
Includes organic certification as a baseline
Additional costs estimated to be little more than organic, generally due to additional labor
Identify regions where biodynamic viticulture is popular
Smaller scale grape growers and estates, DRC
Loire Valley
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of biodynamic viticulture
Advantages: same as organic viticulture
Disadvantages: limited research comparing the two
Identify the aims of Regenerative Viticulture
Distinct and holistic method of farming that aims to continually improve upon environmental, social and economic measures
Restate a vineyard site to functioning agroecosystem to improve resources and limit inputs
Soil health top priority and improve health of entire vineyard
Biodiversity - above and below ground - essential
Improve wellbeing by reducing cost of synthetic inputs and limiting exposure to harsh chemicals
Explain how regenerative viticulture achieves these aims
Methods similar to organic or sustainable, but works to improve - not just maintain - resources like soil and water
Agroecosystems - Create functioning ecosystems rather than a system that meets the needs of one crop only; when fully functioning, system’s needs are met naturally so inputs like fertilizers significantly reduced
Soil health is a core tenet; healthy soils packed with water, nutrients and biodiversity.
Define ‘agroecosystem’
Ecosystem that has been modified for agriculture
Explain how soil health contributes to regenerative viticulture
Healthy soils packed water water, nutrients and biodiversity
Many organisms evolved mutually beneficial relationships that can improve quality of water, vegetation and productivity of a site
These interconnected relationships improve the overall health of the vineyard agroecosystem and make system more resistant to climate change-related threats like drought and heat
Identify an example of an interconnected relationship in regenerative viticulture
Mycorrhizal fungi have formed symbiotic relationship with plants, including vines, that allow the plant to better absorb essential elements like phosphorus, nitrogen and water
Identify the common practices in regenerative viticulture
Soils left undisturbed so they can build biodiversity, carbon (sequestered in soil rather than released into atmosphere) and pathways for connections, i.e., limited tilling and irrigation
Add compost to increase organic matter in soil and replace nutrients
Use cover crops to prevent erosion and reduce water loss
Use animals to create natural controls for vineyard pests
Identify the certification agencies for regenerative viticulture
No universal standard
Regenerative Organic Alliance measures soil health, animal welfare, human empowerment
Identify the advantages of regenerative viticulture
Soils are rehabilitated, decreasing need for synthetic fertilizers
carbon is sequestered, helping to fight climate change
Vineyards more resilient, limiting impacts of climate change
Biodiversity improves along with animal welfare
Lives of farmers improve through less exposure to chemical inputs
Identify the disadvantages of regenerative viticulture
Not legally defined, so claims can be exaggerated
Growers need to experiment to find best approach, which can take time and resources
Results take time, which can make transition difficult and costly
Producers cannot rely on inputs in case of disease or climate pressure, which may reduce yields
Certification costs money
Identify the aim for Precision Viticulture
Use data collected from the vineyard (soil, vine vigor, topography, plant growth) to respond to changes from plot to plot and from row to row
All key interventions, e.g., pruning, leaf removal, treatments, irrigation, crop thinning and harvesting, to be carried out precisely with the aim of producing best quality and yield, reducing environmental impact and, where possible, reducing costs on treatments
Explain how Precision Viticulture achieves its aims
Collects date by sensors on aircraft (remote) or tractors/harvesters (proximal). GPS and GIS (geographical information systems) allows data to be presented visually in the form of maps, and data can be about composition of soils, rate of growth of canopy, etc.
Interventions then target in light of the data - variable rate application technology
Identify two examples of precision viticulture in the vineyard
Changing rootstock halfway along rows of vines as the soil gets more fertile
Increasing levels of leaf-stripping in areas showing particularly high vigor
Identify when precision viticulture is likely to be used
considerable upfront investment, so only option for large scale viticulture or high-value, smaller estate
Used in California, Australia
Most effective where data is used to control treatment application rates or irrigation rates
Often used as part of sustainable or organic viticulture
Identify the advantages of precision viticulture
detailed understanding of variations in the vineyard that affect yield and quality between and within vineyards
ability to tailor a wide range of interventions to individual blocks or even rows of vines with aim of improving yields and/or quality
identify the disadvantages of precision viticulture
initial cost of remote data collection
cost of sensors and software and either consultancy or trained staff to interpret data and make interventions in the light of it
