Nutrient Management Flashcards
What techniques are used to control the level of nutrients in the soil?
- direct application of nutrients
- promotion of biological activity and soil structure
- weed management
Why are weeds undesirable?
- they compete with the vine for nutrients
- they can increase risk of frost damage
- they can hamper the passage of machinery and personnel
Describe the use of fertilizers.
two types: organic and mineral
- they can be added before planting to help the growth of young vines
- they can be applied to established vineyards to correct nutrient deficiencies
What are organic fertilizers?
Derived from fresh or composted plant or animal materials
What are the advantages of organic fertilizers?
- cheap or even free
- can be good for soil structure and water retention
- provide nutrition for soil organisms and promote living matter in the soil
What are mineral fertilizers?
Fertilizer that is extracted from the ground or chemically manufactured
What are disadvantages of organic fertilizers?
- require labor to incorporate them into the soil
- can be bulky and difficult to transport or spread
What are advantages of mineral fertilizers?
- can be tailored to suit the nutrient requirements of the vineyard
- inorganic form can be readily available to the vines
- more concentrated, cheaper to transport and easier to distribute
What are the disadvantages of mineral fertilizers?
- no benefit for soil organisms
- do not improve soil structure
- can be expensive
What is cultivation?
A method of weed control that involves ploughing the soil to cut or disturb weeds’ root systems
What are the advantages of cultivation?
- does not use any chemicals, can be used in organic and biodynamic agriculture
- enables fertilizer and mown cover crops to be incorporated into the soil at the same time as removing weeds
What are the disadvantages of cultivation?
- repeated cultivation can damage the soil’s structure and ecology due to the breakdown of organic matter and destruction of habitats
- costly, as it requires both skilled labor and machinery
- disturbing the soil buries seeds, thus encouraging weeds to grow back
- can increase vine vigor too much, as there is no competition for water or nutrients
What are the three types of herbicides?
- pre-emergence herbicides
- contact herbicides
- systemic herbicides
When are pre-emergence herbicides sprayed?
- before weeds establish
- they persist in the surface layers of the soil, but are absorbed by weeds’ roots and inhibit germination of young seedlings
How do contact herbicides work?
- sprayed on established weeds
- kill the green parts of the weed that they contact