6. Managing Nutrients + Water

Question 1

What are mineral fertilizers?

Answer 1

Extracted from the ground or chemically manufactured

Question 2

What are advantages/disadvantages of organic fertilizers?

Answer 2

• cheap/free
• provide nutrition for soil organisms
• they need to be broken down into inorganic = requires incorporation into soil = labour/cost

Question 3

What are advantages of cultivation?

Answer 3

• doesn’t use chemicals

- enables cover crops to be incorporated into soil at same time as removing weeds

Question 4

What is flood irrigation?

Answer 4

Water stored behind a sluice and is released at scheduled time to flood vineyard

Question 5

What are organic fertilizers?

Answer 5

Derived from fresh/composted plant/animal material

Question 6

What are advantages/disadvantages of mineral fertilizers?

Answer 6

• can be tailored more
• nutrients are already in inorganic form
• no benefit for soil organisms/don’t improve soil structure
• more expensive BUT more concentrated and cheaper to transport/distribute

Question 7

What are disadvantages of mulching?

Answer 7

• tends to be bulky = expensive
• a lot is required to be effective
• can increase vigour too much

Question 8

What are disadvantages of cultivation?

Answer 8

• repeated = can damage soil’s structure
• costly
• can increase vigour too much (no competition)

Question 9

What is mulching?

Answer 9

The spreading of matter onto the vineyard soil to suppress growth of weeds (usually straw/back chips)

Question 10

What is RDI?

Answer 10

• regulated deficit irrigation
• a system of timing and regulating the amount of irrigation so the vine is put under mild-moderate stress for a specific time within a growing season
• usually scheduled between fruit set & version
• drip system used
• less water is used, but timing of water application/monitoring of soils is critical

Question 11

What are advantages of herbicides?

Answer 11

• cheap
• highly effective
• less damaging to soil than cultivation

Question 12

What are disadvantages of cover crops?

Answer 12

• reduction in vine vigour that can be excessive in poor soils/dry environments
• difficulty of mowing under-row area = time/labour
• unsuitable for steeply sloping vineyards

Question 13

What are cover crops?

Answer 13

Plants that are specifically planted/allowed to grow to suppress weeds, improve soil structure, compete with vine for water/nutrients, manage soil erosion, enhance biodiversity and provide a surface to grow on (usually legumes or cereals)

Question 14

What are advantages of animal grazing?

Answer 14

• no chemicals
• they provide vineyard with manure
• they’re a source of meat for humans

Question 15

What are advantages of drip irrigation?

Answer 15

• economic
• possible to control water supply to individual blocks
• can be used to apply fertilizer
• can be used on slopes

Question 16

What are 3 types of herbicides?

Answer 16

1) pre-emergence: sprayed before weeds establish and persist on surface of soil
2) contact: sprayed on established weeds and kill green parts it contacts
3) systemic: sprayed on established weeds and are taken in by leaves and kill whole plant

Question 17

What are advantages of mulching?

Answer 17

• doesn’t use chemicals
• can reduce water evaporation from soil
• can be a source of humus/nutrients

Question 18

What is cultivation?

Answer 18

Method of weed control that involves ploughing soil to cut/disturb weed’s root systems

Question 19

What are 3 methods that can be used during growing season to control level of nutrients in soil?

Answer 19

1) indirect application of nutrients
2) promotion of biological activity in soil structure
3) management of weeds that can compete with vine

Question 20

What is dry farming?

Answer 20

Not using irrigation in areas with limited rainfall (lower yields but better grape quality?)

Question 21

What are disadvantages of herbicides?

Answer 21

• risks to poisoning operator/consumer/environment
• weeds can become resistant
• can increase vine vigour too much
• not allowed in organic/biodynamic

Question 22

What are some steps to increase efficacy of water?

Answer 22

• use of water-efficient irrigation systems (drip)
• use of drought-tolerant grapes (Grenache)
• reducing evaporation (mulch)
• reducing competition (removing weeds)
• increasing humus levels = better water retention
• re-using water in winery

Question 23

What is channel irrigation?

Answer 23

Similar to flood, but water flows down furrows dug between vine rows (more efficient)

Question 24

What are disadvantages of drip irrigation?

Answer 24

• high installation costs
• clean water required to prevent blockage
• cannot be used in frost protection

Question 25

What are disadvantages of animal grazing?

Answer 25

• vines must be trained high
• animals need caring for
• animals are susceptible to vineyard pesticides