NH - Unit 2 - Vineyard management - site preparation Flashcards
What are the 3 major steps in site preparation?
- disinfection
- cultivation
- fertilisation
How do you start with preparing the soil for a vineyard?
- remove existing vegetation, large stones, former vines, trees etc.
- uproot trees rather than cut down
- roots may harbour fungal diseases
- gather and burn roots on the spot
- uproot trees rather than cut down
- kill troublesome weeds (e.g. with non-residual herbicide)
- Fix dips in water
- Assess risk of erosion
- sometimes break up subsoil
Why and how can you fix dips in water when preparing the soil ?
- Can cause root asphyxiation and problems when passing machinery
- remover topsoil, level the subsoil, replace topsoil
What steps should one take when there is risk of erosion?
- plant trees or dig ditches above the field
- establish paths with ditches or surface guttering across the field
- plant along the contours
Why and how should one break up the subsoil?
- at depths of 50 - 100 cm
- Can improve drainage
- can improve the depth of rooting of the young vines
Why are soil tests prior to planting vital?
- Any soil nutrient deficiencies must be corrected.
Why should there not be a need to add nitrogen?
- It will leach out before plants can reach it?
- May lead to over-vigourous growth in the young plant
To what level is organic matter normally raised, how and why?
- above 2%
- by adding farmyard manure
- to improve structure and add to the humus content
To what level is the PH normally raised, how
- Above 6,5 %
- using calcite (calcium carbonate), magnesite (magnesium carbonate) or dolomite (a mixture of both)
How does one improve the structure and why?
- By using Gypsum (CaSO4)
- It reduces the dispersion of surface soils
- It minimises the swelling of sub-surface soils
- improving the permeability and aeration
At what depth and why are vineyard sites often ploughed?
When is it best done? Why?
- A depth of 20 to 60 cm
- to bury the existing vegetation
- to incorporate fertilisers
- to increase aeration and drainage
- exposes remaining large roots which can be removed
Best done in autumn to benefit from freeze-thawing action during subsequent winter.
How can you kill the (fan-leaf carrying) nematodes ?
- desinfection
- or leave the soil fallow for 5 - 8 years (only required in vinegrowing areas with a history of viral and nematode problems
How and why is the tilth finally produced (akker)?
- By using a power harrow, spader or rotary cultivator
- to produce a medium-fine tilth at a depth of 200 - 300 mm
- makes planting easier by loosening and levelling the soil
- It destroys any weeds that have grown on the surface
Is cultivation done on dry or wet soil?
Dry soil
Explain the planning and preparation of planting vines
- Summer year 1 : Remove existing vegetation (optional : plant external windbreaks, levelling, terracing, sub-soiling, install drainage, soil disinfection)
- Autumn : Corrective fertilisation / Deep ploughing
- Spring year 2 : Deep cultivation / Tracing out the plantation / Planting
Natural drainage ensures that water is distributed in several ways :
- runs off surface
- taken up by plant roots
- absorbed into pores in the soil particles
- evaporates from the soil surface
- drains down through the soil
What are the most important control methods of drainage?
- improving soil structure by the addition of farmyard manure, organic matter, sand, grit, lime
- ditches
- drainage pipes
- mole drainage
- sub-soiling
Explain the drainage method : ditching
These are the cheapest method of putting in artificial drainage (ditches and their outfalls need to be maintained every few years)
Explain mole drainage
- This is a cheap method
- usually used on field with clay subsoil (no stones)
- Mole ploughs have a torpedo or bullet shaped “mole” attached to a steel coulter (vertical cutting blade) and form a cylindrical channel in the subsoil
Explain the drainage method : subsoiling
- it mechanically bursts the soil
- it artificially creates the passages which enable the free movement of water and air
- it allows root systems to fully develop
Explain the drainage method : draining pipes
- Perforated plastic pipes are more common than clay ones
- Distance between drains depends on soil type
- Positioning of the drains depends
- upon the slope of the field
- the occurrence of springs and wet patches
When should terracing be considered?
What is the drawback?
- If the slope is above 20%
- Expensive operation => retaining walls made of grass of stone must be established
When do you plant the rooted cuttings?
- as early as possible
- wait until spring frost risks are over
- ground must be effectively prepared
What do you do if plants are delivered before they are due to be planted?
- must be protected from drying out
- keep them in a dark cool place
- in the plastic bags in which they were delivered
- in buckets of water
Till when can you plant potted plants?
As late as July
Steps for planting by hand
- the plantation must be traced out carefully to ensure vine rows are straight and evenly spaced.
- After cultivation, plant the supporting stakes.
- hole must be deep enough to hold graft union out of the soil
- The plant’s roots may need trimmed to fit the hole.
- The plant should be placed securely against the stake
- fine earth placed around its roots.
- watering-in is recommended, particularly for potted plants
How does machine planting proceed?
- planting machines are usually tractor-trailed
- often laser-guided so the rows are straight
- Succes is more dependent on the quality of the soil preparation than hand-planting
What is plastic mulching? How does planting proceed?
- for controlling weeds, to maintain higher moisture levels and promote faster root development.
- vines are planted without supporting stakes
- a film of plastic about 1 m in width is unrolled using a trailed implement that buries 200 mm on each side to a depth of 150 mm.
- holes are then cut in the plastic to allow the vines to poke trough
- Canes or stakes are planted next to the plants
What are the advantages of plastic mulching
- young plants do not suffer from drought, even in dry summers
- there is no weed competition, so no under-row weed control is required
- soil structure under the row is maintained
- soil temperature is increased, which increases microbial activity
=> young plants grow much faster and can gain a year in growth
What are the disadvantages of plastic mulching
- the initial expense of plastic and hire of machine
- increased frost risk ,as plants grow earlier & faster
- weeds develop at the base of the plant that are difficult to control
- the plastic harbours slugs, mice and snakes
- the eventual removal of the plastic is arduous and its disposal difficult
- it promotes superficial rooting. Roots are restricted to the suface level of the soil where they are most vulnerable to drought
What other measures can be taken with new plants?
- the use of tree guards
- rigid grow tubes
- polythene sleeves
- placed on the plant after plantation
- secured to the supporting stake
- will increase the growth rate dramatically
- leading to an earlier crop by reducing drought stress
- protecting the vines from herbicides, rabbits, deer
What involves the care of young plantations?
- watering-particularly important for potted vines
- weed control, as weeds compete for water and soil space. Care must be taken in herbicide selection and application
- protection from rabbits (plastic netted sleeves)
- protection from slug and snails (slug pellets)
- wind protection (temporary wind breaks)
- disease protection (against late season attacks of powdery mildew)
- tying up and summer pruning (remove any flowers and shoots from rootstock and roots from scions
- replacing any unsuccessful vines (order and pot few extra vines for replacement)
!! twice as much time is spent on young plantations than on established vines!!
