Understanding Grape Growing Options Flashcards
What is the aim of Conventional viticulture?
Raising production levels and reducing labour requirements.
How is Conventional viticulture achieved?
Mechanisation, agro-chemicals, irrigation, clonal selection, chemical inputs, mineral fertilisers, monoculture.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Conventional viticulture?
Adv = quicker, low reliance on labour, high yield, consistency, uniform fruit, mechanisation, low competition in monoculture.
Dis = cost of agro-chemicals, eco-unfriendly, low consumer acceptance, hazardous, more prone to disease because fungal diseases spread quickly in monoculture.
What is the aim of Sustainable viticulture?
Promote the natural ecosystems in the vineyard, maintain biodiversity, manage waste, minimise applications of chemicals and energy use, and reduce the impact of viticulture on the wider environment.
How is Sustainable viticulture achieved?
Still permits conventional treatment but makes growers limit it through careful regulation. Agro-chemicals are the last resort.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Sustainable viticulture?
Adv = reduce cost, consumer acceptance, eco-friendly.
Dis = agro-chemicals still used, additional requirements in cost of expertise for monitoring, no certification.
What is the aim of Organic viticulture?
Improve the soil and the range of microbes and animals. Rejects manufactured fertilisers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides.
How is Organic viticulture achieved?
compost, cover crops, natural fertilisers, reduction of monoculture, traditional remedies such as copper sulfate.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Organic viticulture?
Adv = health & disease resistance of vine, health of soil, elimination of synthetic chemicals (save cost), eco-friendly, high consumer acceptance, fashionable, can charge premium.
Dis = reduction in yield, cost of certification, lower consistency, build up of metal in soil (copper sulfate), much higher risk.
What is the aim of Biodynamic viticulture?
Seeks to achieve a balance between the physical and higher, non-physical realms.
How is Biodynamic viticulture achieved?
Coincide with cycle of planets, moons and stars, homeopathic remedies (preparations) used to fertilise soil, treat diseases, and ward off pests. Traditional chemicals allowed like organic.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Biodynamic viticulture?
Adv = fashionable, high consumer acceptance, can charge premium, eco-friendly.
Dis = much more difficult to scale up - reliant on labour and skill set, metal build-up in soil, cost of certification.
What is the aim of Precision viticulture?
Producing the best quality and yield, reducing environmental impact, reducing costs on treatments.
How is Precision viticulture achieved?
Measure certain factors along a vineyard area (soil, vine vigour, topography), GPS to tailor changes in vineyard, bespoke treatment.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Precision viticulture?
Adv = Quality and yield can be improved, consistency.
Dis = cost, skill needed, suitable for premium/super-premium or very large-scale production.
What site is idea for high-volume inexpensive wines, and give a regional example (2)
Flat, fertile site with warm, dry climate.
E.g. Central Valley (Chile)
What are things to consider when selecting a vineyard site? (6)
- Adequate labour force
- Access to water
- Topography
- Climate - is it suitable for grape variety?
- Laws and regulations
- Where is the market?
What does the structure of the soil influence? (4)
root penetration, water-drainage, nutrient-holding capacity, workability.
What is a plough pan?
An impervious layer of soil.
Define subsoiling.
Breaking down an impervious layer of soil (aka. plough pan)
How can you rectify an acidic soil (and where is a regional example)?
Lime can be spread on the soil and ploughed in.
Beaujolais (France).
What are 6 (natural) things to consider when choosing a grape variety?
- Time of budding
- Duration of annual life-cycle
- Tolerance of drought
- Resistance to disease
- Winter hardiness
- Vigour
What are 6 (stylistic and sales) things to consider when choosing a grape variety?
- Style of wine
- Yield
- Cost
- Law
- Availability
- Market demand
What is head grafting?
Cut the original variety at the trunk and graft a bud from a new variety on top.
What American rootstock is tolerant of pests?
Ramsey (root-knot nematodes)
What American rootstock is drought-tolerant?
Vitus Berlandieri
What American rootstock has a high-acidic soil tolerant?
Vitus Rupestris
What is a low-vigour American rootstock?
Vitus Riparia
What is a high-vigour American rootstock?
Vitus Rupestris
Between what age is a vine able to produce its maximum yield of fruit?
Between 10-40 years
What is a risk with ‘Old Vines’?
It is not regulated, so can mean different ages from producer, an old vine in an unsuitable location and badly managed won’t produce better fruit.
Why are older vines often cited to be better?
better balanced, more adapted to their environment, more grape concentration, bigger store of carbohydrates, survived better than other vines over time.
Define ‘Soil Health’.
The continued capacity of the soil to act a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.
What are 3 ways to control the levels of nutrients in the soil?
- Direct application of nutrients
- Promotion of biological activity and soil structure
- Management of weeds
Give me 3 reasons why the removal of weeds is desirable.
- Compete with the vine for nutrients and water
- Bare, moist soils (uncovered) are best at absorbing heat during day and releasing it at night
- Reduces frost risk.
What are Organic fertilisers?
Derived from fresh or composted plant or animal material.
Define Green Manure.
Cover crops that are grown, mown, and turned into the soil to decompose and provide nutrients.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of organic fertilisers?
Adv = Cheap (sometimes free), high in humus, nutrition for soil organisms, available to the vine gradually.
Dis = need to be broken down into inorganic nutrients (time and labour), bulky (expensive to transport and spread).
What’s another name for inorganic fertilisers?
Synthetic fertilisers
What are inorganic/synthetic fertilisers?
They are made from minerals manufactured from the ground, or synthetic chemicals.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of inorganic/synthetic fertilisers?
Adv = they are more tailored than organic fertilisers, they are already in inorganic form so are more readily available to vines, cheaper to transport and distribute.
Dis = they don’t improve soil structure, more expensive to purchase.
What is cultivation?
A method of weed control - ploughing the soil to cut or disturb the weeds’ root system.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of cultivation?
Adv = no chemicals normally, can add minerals to fertilise and cultivate soil at same time.
Dis = Potentially burying and incorporating seeds, needs specialist equipment (trimming and cultivating between plants becomes v. difficult), can increase vine vigour.
What are herbicides?
Chemical sprays that kill weeds.
What is the difference between pre-emergence herbicides, systemic, and contact? (3)
Pre-emergence = sprayed before weeds establish. Absorbed by roots and inhibits germination.
Systemic = sprayed on established weeds and taken in by leaves. Moves up sap and kills whole weed.
Contact = sprayed on established weeds and kills green parts.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of herbicides?
Adv = cheap (labour & machinery), very effective, doesn’t damage soil structure.
Dis = potentially toxic, plants become resistant - increase amount and costs go up, can increase vine vigour.
What is animal grazing?
A method of weed control using animals to graze in the vineyard.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of animal grazing as a form of weed control?
Adv = free manure, source of food for humans, no chemicals, marketing advantage.
Dis = vines have to be trellised to a high height so they don’t get eaten, additional costs (care), susceptible to vineyard pesticides.
What are cover crops?
Plants that are specifically planted, or allowed to grow, that have a beneficial effect on the vineyard.
What are some of the uses of cover crops? (4)
- suppress weeds
- improve soil structure
- compete with the vine for nutrients (and water)
- enhance biodiversity
What are advantages and disadvantages of cover crops?
Adv = suppress weeds, improve soil structure, compete with the vine for nutrients, enhance biodiversity, reduce chemicals, good surface for machinery.
Dis = not ideal for frost, too much competition for water and micro-nutrients, needs cultivating into the ground so might destroy some soil structure, difficulty to mow.
What is mulching?
Spreading of matter (e.g. hay, straw) to suppress weed growth.