NH - Unit 2 - Vineyard management - site preparation

Question 1

What are the 3 major steps in site preparation?

Answer 1

• disinfection
• cultivation
• fertilisation

Question 2

How do you start with preparing the soil for a vineyard?

Answer 2

• 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
• kill troublesome weeds (e.g. with non-residual herbicide)
• Fix dips in water
• Assess risk of erosion
• sometimes break up subsoil

Question 3

Why and how can you fix dips in water when preparing the soil ?

Answer 3

• Can cause root asphyxiation and problems when passing machinery
• remover topsoil, level the subsoil, replace topsoil

Question 4

What steps should one take when there is risk of erosion?

Answer 4

• plant trees or dig ditches above the field
• establish paths with ditches or surface guttering across the field
• plant along the contours

Question 5

Why and how should one break up the subsoil?

Answer 5

• at depths of 50 - 100 cm
• Can improve drainage
• can improve the depth of rooting of the young vines

Question 6

Why are soil tests prior to planting vital?

Answer 6

• Any soil nutrient deficiencies must be corrected.

Question 7

Why should there not be a need to add nitrogen?

Answer 7

• It will leach out before plants can reach it?
• May lead to over-vigourous growth in the young plant

Question 8

To what level is organic matter normally raised, how and why?

Answer 8

• above 2%
• by adding farmyard manure
• to improve structure and add to the humus content

Question 9

To what level is the PH normally raised, how

Answer 9

• Above 6,5 %
• using calcite (calcium carbonate), magnesite (magnesium carbonate) or dolomite (a mixture of both)

Question 10

How does one improve the structure and why?

Answer 10

• By using Gypsum (CaSO4)
• It reduces the dispersion of surface soils
• It minimises the swelling of sub-surface soils
  
  • improving the permeability and aeration

Question 11

At what depth and why are vineyard sites often ploughed?

When is it best done? Why?

Answer 11

• 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.

Question 12

How can you kill the (fan-leaf carrying) nematodes ?

Answer 12

• desinfection
• or leave the soil fallow for 5 - 8 years (only required in vinegrowing areas with a history of viral and nematode problems

Question 13

How and why is the tilth finally produced (akker)?

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

Is cultivation done on dry or wet soil?

Answer 14

Dry soil

Question 15

Explain the planning and preparation of planting vines

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

Natural drainage ensures that water is distributed in several ways :

Answer 16

• 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

Question 17

What are the most important control methods of drainage?

Answer 17

• improving soil structure by the addition of farmyard manure, organic matter, sand, grit, lime
• ditches
• drainage pipes
• mole drainage
• sub-soiling

Question 18

Explain the drainage method : ditching

Answer 18

These are the cheapest method of putting in artificial drainage (ditches and their outfalls need to be maintained every few years)

Question 19

Explain mole drainage

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

Explain the drainage method : subsoiling

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

Explain the drainage method : draining pipes

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

When should terracing be considered?

What is the drawback?

Answer 22

• If the slope is above 20%
• Expensive operation => retaining walls made of grass of stone must be established

Question 23

When do you plant the rooted cuttings?

Answer 23

• as early as possible
• wait until spring frost risks are over
• ground must be effectively prepared

Question 24

What do you do if plants are delivered before they are due to be planted?

Answer 24

• 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

Question 25

Till when can you plant potted plants?

Answer 25

As late as July

Question 26

Steps for planting by hand

Answer 26

• 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

Question 27

How does machine planting proceed?

Answer 27

• 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

Question 28

What is plastic mulching? How does planting proceed?

Answer 28

• 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

Question 29

What are the advantages of plastic mulching

Answer 29

• 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

Question 30

What are the disadvantages of plastic mulching

Answer 30

• 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

Question 31

What other measures can be taken with new plants?

Answer 31

• 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

Question 32

What involves the care of young plantations?

Answer 32

• 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!!