4. Viticulture Approaches (Grape Growing)

Question 1

What are the five approaches to Grape Growing?

Answer 1

1. Conventional 2. Sustainable 3. Organic 4. Biodynamic 5. Precision

Question 2

Describe the overall objective of conventional “intensive” viticulture and how is it achieved?

Answer 2

Raise production / reduce labour (and other costs)

Achieved by

1. Mechanization 2. Chemical inputs 3. Irrigation 4. Clonal selection

Question 3

How are vineyards kept weed-free in conventional viticulture?

Answer 3

• Plowing between the rows
• Spraying herbicides

Question 4

What are the advantages of monocultures?

Answer 4

• ability to mechanise the work in the vineyard
• reduction of competition from other plants
• ability to tend to the specific needs of the grape variety planted (irrigation, nutrition level, treatments against hazards, pests and diseases) and to increase yields while reducing costs

Question 5

What are the disadvantages and concerns of monocultures?

Answer 5

• plants more prone to diseases and pests (require more treatments or protection - more chemicals)
• nutrients can be depleted as there is no natural ecosystem to replenish nutrients (requiring more applications of fertilisers)
• residual chemicals can find their way into ground water or the air, creating environmental damage

Question 6

What are the three pillars of Sustainable grape growing?

Answer 6

1. Economic sustainability 2. Social sustainability 3. Environmental sustainability

Question 7

What are the aims of sustainable viticulture?

Answer 7

Promote the natural ecosystems in the vineyards

Maintain biodiversity

Manage waste

Minimise applications of chemicals and energy use

Reduce the impact of viticulture on the wider environment

Question 8

How does sustainable viticulture work?

Answer 8

• Grower develops understanding of the lifecycles of the vine, vineyard pests (integrated pest management)
• Monitors weather to predict and prevent a pest or disease
• not following regime of spraying rather using above knowledge and understanding to minimise interventions and use them for greatest effect so fewer are needed

Question 9

What is lutte raisonee

Answer 9

• french term to describe integrated pest management /reduced use of agro chemicals “control with reason”

Question 10

Describe integrated pest management?

Answer 10

• Builds on the organic approach, but includes use chemical interventions when necessary
• Identifying and monitoring pests (when to look, what to look for, set threshold and when its reached grab the chemicals)
• Beyond the threshold evaluate control measures, set up preventative measures

Question 11

Name 3 examples of sustainable viticulture guidelines.

Answer 11

1. LODI RULES (for Lodi, California) 2. Sustainable Winegrowing NZ 3. Sustainable Winegrowing South Africa.

Question 12

Name 4 advantages of sustainable viticulture.

Answer 12

1. A more thoughtful approach to grape growing, with attention to the economic, social and environmental impact of viticulture.
2. The deployment of a scientific understanding of the threats to successful grape growing (pests and diseases) to minimise the number of interventions needed.
3. A reduction in the spraying of synthetic and traditional treatments.
4. The consequent cost saving that has incentivised grape growers to work in a more sustainable way.

Question 13

Name 2 disadvantages of sustainable viticulture.

Answer 13

1 . The term is not protected and therefore can be used to promote wine without a clear set of standards.

stds are more about setting in place a way of working (identifying key challenges and hazards, record keeping, ways of calculating thresholds)

2. Danger that standards are set too low. “can be labelled “sustainable - what does it really mean??) e.g. NZ has wide adoption for sustainable practices and has reduced chemical usage, but overall criticised that certification bar set too low.

Question 14

What is organic viticulture?

Answer 14

It seeks to improve the soil of the vineyard and thus :

• the range of microbes and animals, such as earthworms, within it
• thereby increase the health and disease-resistance of the vine

It rejects the use of man-made (also known as synthetic) fertilisers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides.

Question 15

What are the 4 key features of organic viticulture?

Answer 15

1. Application of compost -slow rel nutrients, improve soil structure
2. Cover crops - prevent erosion, green manure if ploughed in - improve biodiversity
3. Natural fertilisers e.g. dung or calcium carbonate - restore natural balance
4. Reduce monoculture of vineyards - cover crops, hedges, islands of biodiversity.

Question 16

Explain what natural / traditional remedies are used in organic farming, and to what effect?

Answer 16

Traditional remedies such as sulfur and copper sulfate combat mildew (but result in copper build-up in the soil - upon review use of synth sprays, with reduced tractor traffic in the vy seems to be more env friendly!!!)

Use of natural predators, or ecosystem mechanisms (pheromone tags to sexually confuse mealy bugs / moths so they do not mate.)

Question 17

Comment on the adoption and economic success of organic viticulture practices globally.

Answer 17

Cost / benefit is not yet fully clear

Adoption of the practices is growing, currently the fastest growth is in sunny Spain (where warm, dry conditions make the conversion less complicated).

Of the 5.4% of organic vineyards in the world, 84% are found in Europe, Italy leads with more than 15% (2017)

The biggest markets for organic wine are also in Europe, followed by Japan

Question 18

What is one universal requirement for organic certification?

Answer 18

Vineyard must undergo a period of conversion working to organic standards before it can be certified

Question 19

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of organic grape growing.

Answer 19

Advantages
improved health, disease-resistance of the vine
improved health of the soil.
Reduction in chemical/synthetic treatments
A saving on the cost of synthetic chemicals

Disadvantages
Generally a slight reduction in yield
A definite reduction in yield in difficult years (pests/disease)
Use of copper sprays lead to heavy metals in soil
Cost and effort to certify

Question 20

What is biodynamic viticulture?

Answer 20

• Builds upon organic principles
  The vineyard soil is seen as part of a connected system with the Earth, the air and other planets.
• Practitioners adapt their grape growing practices to coincide with the cycles of the planets, moon and stars.

e.g.

• moon is rising, therefore sap is rising, therefore t_ake cuttings_, but avoid pruning.
• moon is descending, therefore winter mood evoked, think ROOTS, plant and prune.

Calendars exist for root, leaf, flower and fruit days.
Calendars indicate best days for certain activities.

Question 21

Comment on the homeopathic preparations used by BD farmers.

Answer 21

• Homeopathic remedies are used to
  fertilise the soil, treat diseases and ward off pests
  enhance and strengthen life forces on the farm

e.g. prep 500 (horn manure)
cow manure stuffed into horns, buried for winter, dug up, dynamised (stirred) in water, then the water sprayed onto soil as compost triggering humus formation.

prep 501 (horn silica)
silica stuffed into horns, buried 6 months, dug up, dynamised and sprayed onto soil - enhances vine growth.

Starter herbs for compost such as valerian or yarrow each prepared a different way, “activate” the compost, helping the compost decompose.

Question 22

What do biodynamic grape growers use to spray against disease?

Answer 22

Traditional chemicals including sulfur and copper sprays with the same bad after effects

Question 23

What is ashing?

Answer 23

Spreading the ashes of burnt weed seeds or harmful animals (e.g. rats or sparrows) on the vineyards to ward off these hazards

Question 24

What is the most common certification body for biodynamic grape growers?

Answer 24

Demeter

Question 25

Why are costs associated with biodynamic grape growing higher than organic growing?

Answer 25

Due to the need for additional labour to tend the vineyard

Question 26

Name 1 of the most prestigious domaines in Burgundy that practice biodynamic farming

Answer 26

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Question 27

Name 1 region where biodynamic farming is very popular.

Answer 27

Loire Valley

Question 28

What is precision viticulture?

Answer 28

• Known as PV

PV uses data collected from the vineyard (soil, vigour, topography, plant growth) to respond to changes from plot to plot and from row to row

Data collected via GIS and GPS, sensors on tractors or aircraft
Interventions are targetted precisely (and can be different, row by row or within a row)

Question 29

What type of data is collected for precision viticulture?

Answer 29

• The composition of soils
• The rate of growth of the canopy
• and many other factors

Question 30

What is variable-rate application technology?

Answer 30

Describes the selective use of applications according to technical data collected and analysed.

This demonstrates how PV can support organic and sustainable viticulture.

Question 31

What is the aim of precision viticulture?

Answer 31

Interventions targetted precisely
reduce env impact
reduce costs
improve quality and yield
irrigate exactly as and where needed
manage planting density scientifically

Question 32

Describe how PV might be executed in a vineyard.

Answer 32

Changing the rootstock half way along rows of vines as the soil gets richer

increasing levels of leaf-stripping in a high vigour area

Question 33

Where has precision viticulture been most widely used?

Answer 33

California, Australia

Question 34

For what is precision viticulture most effective?

Answer 34

For controlling treatment application rates or irrigation rates

Question 35

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of Precision Viticulture

Answer 35

Advantages
1. Detailed understanding of variations in the vineyard that affect yield and quality between and within vineyards

2. Ability to tailor a wide range of interventions (choice of variety and rootstock, canopy management, treatments, harvest dates) to individual blocks or even rows of vines, with the aim of improving yields and/or quality.

Disadvantages
initial cost to implement is high (equipment, data collection)
ongoing cost of skills to interpret results and determine appropriate action.