D1: Approaches to grape growing 8

Question 1

The 4 approaches to grape growing:

Answer 1

1) Conventional
2) sustainable
3) organic
4) biodynamic

Question 2

In the second half of the 20th century, viticulture in common underwent a significant change:

Answer 2

1) in effect it became intensive fruit farming
2) The aims include raising production levels and reducing the labour requirements
achieved by:
* mechanisation
* chemical inpus
* irrigation
* clonale selection

3) viticulture became a monoculture
* vineyards were kept weed free by ploughing between the rows and spraying herbicides
* the use of agrochemicals in the vineyard to control pest and diseas sign increased
* also increase of mineral fertilisers

Question 3

Monoculter advantages:

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Disadvantages of monoculture:

Answer 4

1) any plants in monoculture are much more prone to diseases (common fungal disease) and therefore need more treatments or protection
2) nutrients can be depleted (no natural ecosystem so more application of fertilisers aquired)
3) residual chemicals can find their ways into ground awater or the air, creating environmental damage (also workers)

Question 5

Sustainable grape growing has three themes:

Answer 5

Economic, social and enrironmental sustainability

Question 6

Sustainable viticulture aims to promote the natural ecosystems in the vineyards, maintain biodiversity, manage waste, min applications of chemicals and energy use and reduce the impact on viticulture on a wider environment.

Answer 6

Grape growers are encouraged to develop an in depth understanding of the lifecycles of the vine and of the vineyard pests and the weather forecast so they can predict and prevent pest or disease outbreak befor it occurs

Question 7

IPM integrated pest management:

Answer 7

1) it builds on some of the insights of organic viticulture, but it is prepared to use chemical interventions when necessary
* setting tresholds at which action needs to be taken (eg pest populations reach certain level)
* identifying and monitoring pests, setting up preventative measures
* evaluating and implementing (uitvoerbare)

Question 8

Institutions that support grape growers (eg university of californias ipm departement) issue detailed guidance (and often a downloadable form) for grape growers to:

Answer 8

1) kwow when to look for a named pest (eg omnivorous leafroller, caterpilars, moths)

2) Know what signs to look for
3) see photos of the pest and the damage it does, to help with identification

4) know how to calculate tresholds when treatment is warranted

Question 9

The grape grower regularly monitors the scale of potential problems and only intervenes before they reach an economic treshold.

Answer 9

They seek to anticipate problems, to boost the vine’s own defence mechanisms and to act at the most effective time
* acting in this way helps to limit serious damage to crops, reduce the amount of chemicals used, save on cost and prevent plants building up resistance to those chemicals

Question 10

Many counries have guidelines and standards for sustainable viticulture.

Answer 10

this can change from region to region
but key:
* identifying key challenges and hazards, record keeping, ways of calculating tresholds

eg: LODI rules, sustainable winegrowing NZ, “South Africa

Question 11

The advantages of sustainable viticulture are:

Answer 11

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 succesful 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 12

The disadvantages of sustainable viti:

Answer 12

1) the term is not protected, so can be used to promote wine without a clear set of standards
2) the standards can be set too low

Question 13

Organic viticulture:

Answer 13

1) seek to improve the soil of the vineyard and the range of microbes and animals such as earthworms
* increase thereby the health and disease resistance of the vine

2) it reject the use of man made (synthetic) fertilisers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides

Question 14

The key features of organic viticulture:

Answer 14

1) the application of compost, which breaks down in the soil providing a slow release of nutrients for vines, and improves the structure and increases the biomass in the soil (the total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area or volume)

2) Cover crops: prevent erosion of soil and contribute to an improvement of the life of the soil
* this can be ploughed in ‘green manure’ or improving biodiversity

3) Natural fertilisers to restore the natural balance of the vineyard (animal dung (kak), natural calcium carbonate)
4) Reducing monoculture: cover crops, planting hedges and establishing ‘islands’ of biodiversity

** these techniques can also be used in sustainable viticulture to promote biodiversity and soil health and hence reduce chemical application

Question 15

Organic ways to combat mildews:

Answer 15

1) sulfur and copper sulfate

2) monitor weather closely to determine when spraying

Question 16

What about the build up of heavy metal, copper in the soil ?

Answer 16

1) where frequently spraying is needed the careful use of synthetic sprays are a better option for the environment
* reduce the need to use tractors in the vineyard

Question 17

Organic grape growers can make use of natural predators and ecosystem mechanisms:

Answer 17

1) grey rot: bacterium bacillus subtilis, which competes with botrytis cinerea for space on the grape
2) sexual confusion: pheromone tags to disrupt the mating (paring) patterns of insects such as moths and mealy bugs, and in this way limit their populations

Question 18

there are many certification bodies throughout the world, all the bodies should meet the standards set by IFOAM (international federation of organic agriculture movements).

Answer 18

an universal requirement is that the vineyard must undergo a period of conversion working to organic standards before it can be certified

• certification can add cost to the production of wine

Question 19

Cost/ benefits of organic viticulture:

Answer 19

1) can have slightly lower yields than conventional

2) additional cost can come from the need of additional labour
* can vary over the world (cool wet climates is more difficult to manage without chemical sprays

Question 20

EU organic viticulture is approaching 10% and EU accounts for 85 % of organic viti in the world:

Answer 20

upcoming la mancha spain: dry hot climatethat that makes for easier conversion

Question 21

The five large markets in the world for organic viti:

Answer 21

1) Frane
2) Germany
3) USA
4) Italy
5) UK
6) Austria

** france and germany are growing fastest

Question 22

Advantages of organic viti:

Answer 22

1) Making the health disease -resistance of the vine and the heath of the soil central aims of the grapegrower
2) the reduction in the number of chemical treatments and the elimination of spraying synthetic chemicals
3) a saving on the cost of synthetic chemicals

Question 23

Disadvantages of organic viti:

Answer 23

1) pssible small reduction in yield generally
2) possibility of significant reductions in yield in difficult years (eg long periods of rainfall or high humidity)

3) increased reliance on copper spray, which may in turn lead to the build up of heavy metal in the soils
4) the cost and time expended on certification where this is sought

Question 24

Biodynamic viti:

Answer 24

1) based on the work of Rudolf Steiner and Maria Thun
2) includes organic practices but also incorporates philosophy and cosmology
3) the vineyard soil is seen as a part of a connected system with the planet earth, the air and other planets
4) practitioners adapt their grape growing practices to coincide with the cycles of the planets, moon and stars

Question 25

Examples of cycle effects:

Answer 25

1) when moon is ascending: summer mood is evoked, sap is rising and therefore it is a good time to take cuttings, but pruning should be avoided
2) when moon is descending: winter mood is evoked and roots are more favoured: best time to plant vines or to prune

** from this basis, Maria Thun and others further developed calendars to advise grape growers on root, leaf or fruit days which indicates the best days for certain activities

Question 26

Homeopathic remedies called ‘preparations’ are used to fertilise the soil, treat diseases and ward off pests:

Answer 26

1) preparation 500 (Horn manure)
2) 501 (horn silica)
3) Compost

Question 27

500 horn manure:

Answer 27

1) Stuffing cows horns with cow manure
2) burying the horns in the soil during the winter and then dug up and the contents are dynamised

3) then stirring the horns in to water to create a vortex and then reversing it so that the water memorises the power of the preparation
4) then sprayed onto the soil as a homeopathic compost

Question 28

501 horn silica:

Answer 28

1) cows horn fillid with ground quartz (silica)
2) burried for six months
3) dug up, dynamized and sprayed onto the soil

** horn manure is believed to catalyse humus formation, and silica is thought to encourage plant growth

Question 29

Compost:

Answer 29

1) biodynamic compos has to be first activated by a series of starters added in tiny quantities (yarrow, chamomile, nettle, oak bark, dandelion or valerian prepared in various ways:
* yarrow in a deer’s bladder

** they are also known as prep 502-507 and they assist with the decomposition of the compost

Question 30

Biodynamic growers use traditional sprays or some practicing ashing:

Answer 30

1) spray: sulfur and copper sprays against diseases
2) ashing: spreading the ashes of burnt weed seeds or harmful animals (eg rats or sparrows
* * to ward of these pests

Question 31

What is Demeter?

Answer 31

1) most common certification body for biodynamic grape growers
2) sets standards for farming and animal husbandry

3) the standards includes organic certification of vineyards as a baseline
* but then goes on to specify the principles that should be followed

Question 32

The additional costs of biodynamic grape growing are estimated to be little more than organic growing, generally due the need for additional labour to tend the vineyard

Answer 32

okido

Question 33

PV: precission viticulture:

Answer 33

1) branch of precision agriculture, makes use of data collected from the vineyard (vigour, soil, topography, plant growth
* to respond to changes from plot to plot and row to row

2) data is collected by sensors either by aircraft (remote) or mounted on a tractor or harvester in the field (proximal)

3) GPS: Geospitial technology (global positioning systems and GIS: Geographical information systems
allows the data to be presented visually in the form of mmaps

** Data Collected: composition of soil, rate of growth of canopy and many others

Question 34

Variable rate application:

Answer 34

Interventions in the vineyard targeted on the maps of the gespitial technology

1) grapegrower can respond to the significant differences from plot to plot (or smaller) in the vineyard (pruning, leaf removal, treatments, irrigation, crop thinning and harvesting
2) aim to produce best quality and yield, reducing environmental impact and where possible, reducing cost and treatments

3) not only respond to variations (eg vine vigour) but if possible to reduce them
* also it can be used to identify different quality zones within the same vineyard

4) upfront investment (large scale viticulture or high value smaller estate
5) often used as part of sustainable or organic viticulture

Question 35

advantages of precision viticulture:

Answer 35

1) detailed understanding of variations in the vineyard that affect yield and quality between and within the 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 ov vines with aim of improving yields and/or quality

Question 36

Disadvantages of precision viticulture:

Answer 36

1) initial cost of remote data collection
2) cost of sensors and software and of either consultancy or trained staff to intrepret the data and make interventions in the light of it