D4: Approaches to Grape Growing Flashcards
What are the five different types of viticulture which can be used?
- conventional
- sustainable
- organic
- biodynamic
- precision
What are the advantages (4) and disadvantages (3) to conventional viticulture?
ADVANTAGE
- mechanise vineyard work
- reduce plant competition
- can tend specific needs of grape varieties planted
- increase yields while reducing costs
DISADVANTAGE
- plants more prone to disease and pests and need more protection
- nutrients depleted as no natural eco-system so need fertilisers
- chemicals get into ground water or air, creating environmental damage
What has been the impact of conventional viticulture from the turn of the 20th Century?
- raised production levels
- reduced labour requirements due to mechanisation, chemical inputs, irrigation, clonal selection
- weed-free vineyards
- agrochemicals used to control pests and diseases
- increased use of mineral fertilisers
By late 20th Century, seeing the impact and start trying to reduce dependence on chemicals
What are the advantages (5) and disadvantages (2) of sustainable viticulture?
ADVANTAGE
- thoughtful grape growing
- attention to economic, social and environmental impact of viticulture
- deployment of scientific understanding of threats to minimise interventions
- reduction in spraying of synthetic and traditional treatments
- saving money
DISADVANTAGE
- not a protected term so can be used in different ways
- query whether standards are too low e.g. NZ has very low bar for sustainable certifications
What are the aims of sustainable viticulture?
- promote natural ecosystems in vineyard
- maintain biodiversity
- manage waste
- minimise application of chemicals and energy use
- reduce impact of viticulture on wider environment
- grape growers should understand the lifecycle of vineyard, weather etc and try and anticipate issues before they occur
- should also reduce amount of spraying needed
What is ‘integrated pest management’ (IPM)?
- key part of sustainable agriculture
- can use chemical interventions if necessary but follow organic principles
- sets threshold for when action is needed
- monitors pests
- preventative measures
- evaluate and implementing control options
- supported by University of California IPM dept which has guidance for grape growers to follow
- growers monitor scale of problem and only intervene before it reaches an economic threshold
- anticipate problems and act at the right time
Most countries and regions have guidelines and standards which vary from place to place
What is the aim of organic viticulture?
seeks to:
- improve soil of vineyard
- increase organisms in soil
- increase health and disease resistance of the vine
rejects use of man-made fertilisers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides
What are the three key features of organic viticulture?
1) COMPOST
- breaks down soil
- slow release of nutrients
- improves structure and biomass of soil
2) COVER CROPS
- prevent soil erosion
- improves soil life either through green manure or through biodiversity
3) NATURAL FERTILISERS
- animal dung, natural calcium carbonate etc
- aiming to restore natural balance of vineyard
OTHERS
- reducing monoculture of vineyard
- cover crops
- planting hedges
- creating ‘islands’ of biodiversity
What are the traditional remedies for combatting mildew in organic viticulture?
- copper sulphate
- sulphur
Don’t want to overspray it as can get a build up of metals in the soil
What two natural things are used in organic viticulture to deal with fungi and pests?
- use natural predators and ecosystem mechanisms
- GREY ROT: introduce BACILLUS SUBTILIS to compete with botrytis cinera for space on the grape
- SEXUAL CONFUSION: use pheremone tags to disrupt mating patterns of pests and limit their populations
What is the main certified body for organic viticulture?
- INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE MOVEMENTS (IFOAM)
- individual countries have own standards so no uniformity
- must undergo a period of conversion to organic standards before being organically certified
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being organically certified?
COST/BENEFIT:
- potentially lower yields
- need additional labour
ADVANTAGE
- health and disease resistance of vine and soil
- reduces use of chemicals
- save money on use of expensive chemicals
DISADVANTAGE
- small reduction in yield
- significant reduction in yields in difficult years
- reliance on copper sprays (build up of metal in soil)
- takes time and money to get certified
How wide is the uptake of organic farming?
- 10% vineyards in Europe farmed organically
- 85% organic vineyards in Europe
- Spain is fastest growing - Castilla-La-Mancha (hot, dry climate)
What is biodynamic viticulture?
- pioneered by Rudolf Steiner and Maria Thun
- organic practices combined with philosophy and cosmology
- the vineyard is seen as part of a connected system with planet Earth, air and other planets
- growing practices are centred around cycles of planets, moons and stars
In biodynamic viticulture, what does it mean if the moon is ascending?
- summer mood is evoked
- sap is rising
- good time to take cuttings for grafting
- do not prune
In biodynamic viticulture, what does it mean if the moon is descending?
- winter mood evoked
- roots are favoured
- good time to plant vines or prune
In biodynamic viticulture, what are ‘preparations’?
- good for fertile soil
- treat disease
- ward off pests
PREPARATION 500
- horn manure - believed to catalyse humus formation
- cow manure stuffed into cow horn and buried for winter
- dug up and dynamised
- sprayed on vineyards
PREPARATION 501
- horn silica - believed to encourage plant growth
- ground quartz (silica) put in cow horn and buried for six months
- dug up, dynamised and sprayed
In biodynamic viticulture, what is dynamising?
- contents of horn stirred in water
- create vortex and then reverse it
- water memorises power of preparation which is then passed to the vineyard
In biodynamic viticulture, what do they believe compost needs?
- believe needs to be activated by series of starters added in tiny quantities
- yarrow
- nettle
- dandelion
- chamomile
- oak bark
- valerian
AKA PREPARATION 502 - 507
Assists with decomposition of compost
In biodynamic viticulture, do they use traditional chemical sprays?
- yes
- spray against disease (inc copper and sulphur)
In biodynamic viticulture, what is ‘ashing’?
- spreading ashes of burnt weeds seeds or harmful animals in vineyard to ward off these hazards
In biodynamic viticulture, what is Demeter?
- common certification body for biodynamic grape growing
- international standards for farming and animal husbandry
- organic certification of vineyards as baseline
What are the advantages and disadvantages for biodynamic viticulture?
COST:
- may have increased labour costs but not any additional costs in comparison to organic
ADVANTAGE
- health and disease resistance of vine and soil
- reduces use of chemicals
- save money on use of expensive chemicals
DISADVANTAGE
- small reduction in yield
- significant reduction in yields in difficult years
- reliance on copper sprays (build up of metal in soil)
- takes time and money to get certified
Where is biodynamic viticulture popular?
- Loire
- Burgundy (e.g. DRC)
- mainly pioneered by smaller growers and estates
What is precision viticulture?
- makes use of data collected from vineyard (soil, vigour, topography, plant growth) to respond to growth changes and variations
For precision viticulture, what are the two different sensors used?
- remote sensors: on aircraft (eg)
- proximal sensors: on tractor/harvester in field
GPS and geographical information systems (GIS) allow data to be presented visually on maps
Precision viticulture: what are the benefits of using GPS and GIS?
- allow data to be presented visually on maps
- can target vineyard interventions
- known as VARIABLE-RATE APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY
- can respond to plot by plot, or row by row differences
Precision Viticulture: what are the six key interventions?
- pruning
- leaf removal
- treatments
- irrigation
- crop thinning
- harvesting
Can all be targeted with the aim of:
- improving yield and quality
- reducing environmental impact
- reducing cost of treatments
EXAMPLE:
- specific leaf stripping half way down a row to reduce vigour
- changing rootstock halfway down row
Precision viticulture: what are the advantages, disadvantages and cost benefits?
- very expensive so only possible on large scale or high value estates
ADVANTAGES
- detailed understanding of vineyard variations
- can tailor interventions within blocks or rows
DISADVANTAGES
- very expensive upfront costs
- need to properly interpret data with experts
Where is precision viticulture mainly used and to what benefit?
- mainly used in California and Australia
- best for irrigation or treatment rates
