Managing Nutrients And Water Flashcards
Soil health is related to
The structure of the soil - drainage, water holding capacity, oxygen, erosion resistance, root penetration
The amount of organic matter and humus in soil
The number of living organisms in soil - to break down humus into accessible nutrients
The total amount of available nutrients needed by the vine
Organic fertilizer
Manure or slurry/ green manure (tillled cover crops)
High in humus - good for soil structure and water retention
Need to be incorporated into soil and broken down by organisms- slow release
Bulky/hard to transport and spread, laborious to incorporate
Inorganic fertilizer
Synthetic fertilizer
Manufactured from minerals extracted from the ground or synthetic chemicals
Can be tailored to needs - single or multi nutrients
Ingredients readily available to vine
Do not improve soil structure and have no benefit to organisms
More expensive than organic fertilizer but easier to transport and distribute
Cultivation
Method of weed control that involves ploughing the soils to cut or disturb the root system
Advantages of cultivation
Uses no chemicals so can be used in organic and biodynamic viticulture
Enables fertilizer and mown cover crops to be incorporated at same time
Disadvantages of cultivation
Repeated cultivation can damage soil structure and ecology due to breakdown of organic matter and earth worms in their habitat
Costly and requires skill, labor, and machinery
Disturbing the soil can bury seeds and encourage regrowth
Can increase vine vigor- no competition for water or nutrients (not a disadvantage in low vigor sites)
Three types of herbicides
Pre- emergence- sprayed before weeds establish. Persist in surface layers of soil but absorbed by weeds roots and inhibit germination
Contact- sprayed on established weed and kill green parts resulting in death
Systemic- sprayed on established weeds and taken in by leaves , travels in sap to kill whole plant
Advantages of herbicides
Cheap in terms of labor and machinery
Highly effective especially in under-row
Less damaging to soil structure than cultivation
Disadvantages of herbicides
Risk of poisoning the operator, consumer, and environment.
Do not encourage vineyard ecosystems
Weeds can become resistant and therefore larger doses or different chemicals need to be used. Glyphosate resistant rye grass in South Africa
Can increase vine vigor- no competition for water or nutrients (not a disadvantage in low vigor sites)
Not allowed in organic and biodynamic viticulture Enables fertilizer
Animal grazing as weed control advantages
Does not use chemicals so is able to be used in organic and biodynamic viticulture
Animals can provide manure
Animals can be eaten
Animal grazing for weed control disadvantages
Animals may eat vine/grapes - must be trained or vines trained suitably high
Animals need caring for- requires labor
Animals susceptible to pesticides
What are cover crops
Plants that are specifically planted or allowed to grow that have a benefit to the vineyard
What reasons are cover crops planted for?
To suppress weeds
To improve soil structure
To compete for nutrients and water
To manage soil erosion
To enhance biodiversity
To provide a surface to drive on
Advantages of cover crops
Does not use chemicals so is able to be used in organic and biodynamic viticulture
Increases soil biological activity and biodiversity in vineyards
Influence vigor of vine
Provides surface for machinery to drive on
Disadvantages of cover crops
Excessive reduction in vine vigor
Difficulty in mowing under-row (time/labor)
Unsuitable for steep vineyards (slippery)
