Organic Viticulture

Question 1

What is organic viticulture?

Answer 1

It rejects the use of man-made (synthetic) fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides

Question 2

What are the aims of organic viticulture?

Answer 2

Seeks to improve the soil of the vineyard and the range of microbes and animals, such as earthworms, within it, and thereby increase the health and disease-resistance of the vine

Question 3

What are the 4 key features of organic viticulture?

Answer 3

1. application of compost
2. cover crops
3. natural fertilizers
4. reduce monoculture of vineyards

Question 4

Why is the application of compost important for a vineyard?

Answer 4

• breaks down in the soil, providing a slow release of nutrients for the vines
• improves the structure and increases the biomass in the soil (total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area or volume)

Question 5

What do cover crops do for a vineyard?

Answer 5

• prevent erosion of the soil
• contribute to the improvement of the quality of the soil through ploughing them in (“green manure”) or by improving biodiversity
• inhibit the growth of invasive and unwanted weeds

Question 6

What do organic grape growers use to combat fungal disease in the vineyard?

Answer 6

Traditional remedies such as sulpher and copper sulphate

Question 7

What are the potential environmental negatives for farming organically?

Answer 7

• build-up of heavy metals in the soils
• higher use of tractors because more spraying is required

Question 8

Example of how organic grape growers make uses of natural predators and ecoysystem mechanisms?

Answer 8

To protect against grey rot, Bacillus subtilis can be used to compete with Botrytis cinerea

Question 9

What are sexual confusion techniques and how can they be used in organic viticulture to help prevent insect pests?

Answer 9

Pheromone tags can be used to disrupt mating patterns of insect pests

Question 10

What do all organic certification bodies have to meet?

Answer 10

Standards set by IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements)

Question 11

What is one univseral requirement for organic certification?

Answer 11

Vineyard must undergo a period of conversion working to organic standards before it can be certified

Question 12

What are the largest markets for organic wine?

Answer 12

Germany
France
UK
USA
Sweden
Japan

Question 13

Advantages of organic grape growing?

Answer 13

• improvements to the health and disease resistance of vines
• improvement to the health of the soil
• elimination of spraying synthetic chemicals
• saving on the cost of spraying synthetic chemicals

Question 14

Disadvantages of organic grape growing?

Answer 14

• small reduction in yield
• increased risk of large reduction of yields in years with problematic weather
• increased reliance on copper sprays, build up of heavy metals in soils
• cost and time of certification