Ch. 6: Managing Nutrients and Water Flashcards
Soil health
The capacity of a soil to sustain plants, animals, & humans. Factors include soil structure and texture, and bio-organisms (worms, bacteria) that make up a soil.
In wine growing, these factors need to be monitored and adjusted to insure that water and nutrients are readily available to the vine at the right times in the growing cycle. A healthy soil structure involves good drainage and water holding capacity, sufficient oxygen, resistance to erosion, and the ability for vines to expand deeply into the soil.
Organic fertilisers
Fertilizers made from composting plant or animal matter, such as manure and plants. They benefit the soil by promoting living matter and improving soil structure. Organic fertilizers are inexpensive, but take time and labor to be incorporated into the soil.
Inorganic fertilisers
Fertilizers made synthetically from minerals extracted from the ground, or chemicals. Applied directly to the soil, they are efficient and effective. However, they do not benefit soil organisms or improve soil structure, and cannot be used in organic/biodynamic farming.
Cultivation
A form of weed control where the soil is tilled mechanically or by hand. Cultivation aids in organic fertilzation, in that the weeds and plants are incorporated into the soil and benefit organisms and soil structure. However, repeated cultivation eventually breaks down organic matter and damages soil structure. It can also bury seeds, encouraging weeds to grow back.
Herbicides
Chemical weed killer sprayed directly onto the weeds or soil. In the shirt term, it is efficient and effective at controlling weeds and are less damaging to soil structure than other methods. However, overuse can lead to resistance from the weeds, resulting in the need to use more and stronger chemicals to combat them. Herbicides are also poisonous to humans and the environment. Because of their efficiency, herbicides can cause too much vine vigour in fertile sites.
Animal grazing
A form of weed control that allows herbivores to graze in the vineyard. This can be used in organic and biodynamic vineyards and can aid in soil fertilization via manure. However, care for the animals can be time consuming and expensive, and the vines need to be trained high so that the animals won’t eat the leaves and grapes.
Cover crops
Plants that are grown in a vineyard to improve the health of the soil and vine. They are meant to compete with weeds, balance soil fertility and can be tilled into the soil for fertilizer. Examples include legumes and cereals, and must be matched to the vineyard in order to be beneficial. This method does not use any chemicals and increases biodiversity in the vineyard. However, it can excessively reduce vigour due to competition of nutrients and water in vineyards with poor soil or in dry environments and can be labor intensive to mow under vine rows.
Mulching
A form of weed control where a thick layer of biodegradable material, such as bark or straw, is spread onto the soil to choke off weed growth. Mulch also provides nutrients to the soil, increasing its bio activity (which improves structure), and reduces water evaporation from the soil, good for dry vineyard sites. However, it is very bulky and can be expensive to transport and apply. It can also increase vigour too much in fertile sites as there is no competition for nutrients or water.
Drip irrigation
A form of irrigation in which narrow water pipes are laid along each row in a vineyard with drippers placed at appropriate intervals. It is the most common form of irrigation and is an effective and efficient way to manage water. Some GIs in the EU do not permit irrigation, or highly regulate it. In order to work effectively, the system needs a reliable, clean water source.
Flood irrigation
A form of irrigation in which water is stored behind a sluice, and released to flood the entire vineyard when water is required. It is cheap, but inefficient as it uses a lot of water in an un-targeted manner. It can only be used on flat, or gently sloping land.
Channel irrigation
Similar to flood irrigation in that water is stored behind a sluice and released at specified intervals, but slightly more efficient as channels are dug between the vineyard rows to capture the water and distribute it more efficiently. They are common in Argentina due to the abundance of water in the Andes mountains.
Overhead sprinklers
A form of irrigation where sprinklers shower water onto the vineyard. Because they moisten the canopy, they can encourage mildew and rot, and are not as efficient as drip irrigation. However, they can be useful in protecting vineyards against frost in frost-prone regions.
