6.2 Nutrient Management Flashcards
What types of techniques are used to control the level of nutrients in the soil and their accessibility to the vine?
- Direct application of nutrients
- Promotion of biological activity and soil structure
- Weed management
Why are weeds bad for vine growth?
- Compete with the vine for nutrients
- prevent soils from asborbing max heat during the day - frost risk
- block access to machinery and personnel
What are organic fertilizers derived from? Give some examples.
- fresh or composted plant or animal material
- example slurry
- need to be broken down into inorganic nutrients
- require incorporation into the soil
- Can be bulky - expensive to transport and spread
What are mineral fertilizers?
- Extracted from the ground or chemically manufactured
Adv
can be tailored, Already in an inorganic form, concentrated, cheaper to transport and distribute
Disadv
no benefit for soil organisms, soil structure, cb expensive
What is cultivation to prevent weeds?
A method of weed control that involves ploughing the soil to cut or disturb the weeds’ root systems
Adv
not chemical, suits organic and biodynamic viticulture
can incorp fert into soil at same time
Disadv
if repeated can damage the soil’s structure and ecology, costly - equipment and labour, disturbs the soil/weed seed buried and grows back, can inc vigour too much (poss adv if vigour is an issue)
What are herbicides?
Chemical sprays that kill weeds
- Pre-emergence herbicides
* before weeds establish, lives in surface layer, absorbed by weed roots and inhibits weed growth - Contact herbicides
* Sprayed on, kills what it contacts - Systemic herbicides
* sprayed on weed, taken up by weed to leaves, travels in weed sap and kills whole plant
Adv 1.
- Cheap (labour, equip), highghly effective, less damaging to the soil structure than cultivation
Disadv
- Can poison the operator, consumer and environment
- do not encourage vineyard ecosystems,
- weeds can become resistant leads to larger doses, more chemicals
- can increase vine vigour too much (no competition for water)
- not allowed in organic and biodynamic viticulture.
What are the 5 main methods of weed control?
- Herbicides
- Animal Grazing
- Cover Crops
- Cultivation
- Mulching
What is animal grazing?
animals allowed to graze in the vineyard
Advantage
- can be used in organic and biodynamic viticulture.
- animals can provide manure.
Disadvantage
- vines must be trained high or the grazing must be conducted out of growing season
- animals need caring for - labour/expense
- animals susceptible to pesticides
What are cover crops?
Plants that are specifically planted, or allowed to grow, that have a beneficial effect on the vineyard suppress weeds, improve soil structure, compete for nutrient and water availability in fertile sites
careful management: Ensure it does not compete too much with the vine for water and nutrients at key times in the vine cycle
Advantage
- impr soil erosion
- Enhance biodiversity, biological activity
- surface to drive on esp if lots of rain
- no chemicals
- can influence the vigour -competition for water and nutrients.
Disadv
- reduction in vine vigour if not well managed (in poor soils and dry environments.)
- obstruction of machinery (incr in time and labour)
- The unsuitability for steeply-sloping vineyards, slippery when wet.
Why might a grape grower choose to leave natural vegetation to grow in the vineyard?
- Cheap - Permits greater diversity
What is green manure?
If ploughed into the soil, the cover crop or natural vegetation can provide organic matter and fertilise the soil.
What is mulching?
The spreading of matter onto the vineyard soil to suppress the growth of weeds adv 1. Does not use any chemicals; can be used in organic and biodynamic viticulture. 2. Reduces water evaporation from the soil, which can be advantageous in dry climates. 3. Source of nutrients and humus, which promotes soil biological activity and good soil structure. disadv 1. Mulch tends to be very bulky, and so expensive to transport and spread. 2. It is only effective if applied in a thick layer, so a lot can be needed. 3. It can increase vigour too much as there is no competition for water or nutrients (not necessarily a disadvantage in low vigour sites).
