4. Approaches to Grape Growing

Question 1

What are 3 key features of organic viticulture?

Answer 1

1) Application of compost (breaks down in soil providing slow release of nutrients)
2) Cover crops often used to prevent erosion
3) Using natural fertilizers (suffer/copper)

Question 2

What are advantages of sustainable viticulture?

Answer 2

• More thoughtful approach
• Reduction in spraying synthetic treatments = saved cost
• A better understanding of the threats to successful grape growing to minimize interventions needed

Question 3

What is conventional viticulture?

Answer 3

Aim is raising production levels & reducing labour requirements – achieved through mechanization, chemical inputs, irrigation & clonal selection

Question 4

What are disadvantages of conventional viticulture?

Answer 4

• Nutrients can be depleted and no natural ecosystem to replenish
• Residual chemicals find their way into the ground

Question 5

What are disadvantages of organic viticulture?

Answer 5

• Possible small reduction in yield
• Increased reliance on copper (which can lead to build up of heavy metals in soil)
• Cost and time on certification

Question 6

What is precision viticulture?

Answer 6

• Makes use of data collected in vineyard (soil, vigour, topography, plant growth, etc.) to respond to changes from plot to plot and row to row = best quality and yield

Question 7

What is sustainable viticulture?

Answer 7

• Aims include: promoting natural ecosystems, maintaining biodiversity, managing waste, minimizing chemicals
• IPM is key part of this

Question 8

What are advantages of organic viticulture?

Answer 8

• Making health and disease resistance of vine/soil the central aim
• Reduction in chemicals used = saved cost

Question 9

What are disadvantages of sustainable viticulture?

Answer 9

• The term isn’t protected = danger that nationwide standards can be set too low

Question 10

What is biodynamic viticulture?

Answer 10

Includes organic practices but also incorporates philosophy and cosmology

Question 11

What are advantages of conventional viticulture?

Answer 11

• Ability to mechanise work
• Reduction of competition from other plants
• Ability to tend to specific needs to grape variety planted

Question 12

What is organic viticulture?

Answer 12

• Seeks to improve the soil of the vineyard and range of microbes and animals in it and thereby increase the health and disease-resistance of the vine
• Rejects manmade fertilizers, chemicals, etc.