Level 4 D1 Chap 6 - Managing Nutrients and Water Flashcards
______ is a method of weed control that ploughs weed roots back into the soil
Cultivation
What are the advantages / disadvantages of cultivation?
Advantages:
- organic and biodynamic friendly
- fertilises soil with organic matter
- can plow in mown cover crops at same time
Disadvantages:
- plowing changes the soil structure
- buries seeds so weeds can grow back
- requires machinery & labor
- can increase vigour if all competition is removed
What are the main types of herbicide?
Pre-emergence: persist in soil
Contact: sprayed on established weeks and kill parts they make contact with
Systemic: taken up by plants and kills the whole plant
What are the advantages / disadvantages of herbicide?
Advantages:
- cheap labour and machinery
- effective
- don’t damage soil structure
Disadvantages:
- environmental / operator/ consumer risk
- resistance can arise
- not allowed in organic/biodynamic
- increase vigour too much if all competition is eliminated
What are the advantages/ disadvantages of cover crops?
Advantages:
- organic/biodynamic suitable
- manage vine vigour by competing for water / nutrients
- surface for machinery
Disadvantages:
- risk of too much competition
- hard to mow the under-row (time & $$$)
- can be slippery on slopes when wet
What are the advantages / disadvantages of mulching?
Advantages:
- organic/biodynamic suitable
- reduces water evaporation in hot climates
- long term release of nutrients & humus (promotes soil biological activity & good soil structure)
Disadvantages:
- bulky to transport
- needs a lot to be effective
- can increase vigour too much
How can a vineyard reduce water usage?
- efficient drip system
- drought tolerant rootstock, e.g. 140R (v. rupestris X v. berlandieri hybrid)
- drought tolerant varieties, e.g. Grenache
- mulch cover
- increase water retention with additional humus
- promote deep root growth
What types of irrigation are there?
Drip
Flood
Channel
Sprinkler
What are the advantages of drip irrigation?
- efficient
- highly tailored
- can supply liquid fertiliser
- used on any terrain
What are the disadvantages of drip irrigation?
- high capital cost
- needs clean water to keep holes clear
- need maintenance to keep clear
- unlike sprinklers, cannot protect against frost
How is water managed across the growing season?
- lots of water at budburst to encourage initial leaf growth
- water deficit may benefit between fruit-set and veraison
- careful management at other times
- might want reduced water at harvest time to prevent swelling
What are two categories of fertilisers?
Organic (e.g. compost)
Inorganic - manufactured
What are organic fertilisers and how do they get into a plant?
Fresh or composted plant or animal waste, that is broken down by organisms in the soil to release nutrients for uptake by roots.
Also, cover crops grown, mown and turned back into the soil.
What are mineral fertilisers?
Inorganic nutrients that can be taken up directly by vines
What factors make up soil health?
- structure (sand/silt/clay mix) – which drives drainage/water and oxygen holding capacity, ability for roots to penetrate
- organic matter - hummus
- living organisms - these break down organic matter into inorganic
- nutrients
