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WSET Diploma Unit 2 (OUT OF DATE) > Soil and Water Management > Flashcards

Soil and Water Management Flashcards

This deck contains info about soil and water management, such as how to add nutrients into the soil and manage water availability. Specific info about vine nutrition and the effects of nutrients can by found in the Trivia: Chemistry of the Vine deck

1
Q

What are the major positive properties of a good soil?

A

A loamy texture and good aggregate structure which allow

Free Movement of Water

Free Movement of Air

Free Movement of Root Penetration

Resistance of Soil to Erosion

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2
Q

What is the aim of soil and water management?

A

To provide, as close as possible, an ideal biological, chemical, and physical environment for healthy root growth to occur so vines can be grown profitably

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3
Q

True or False

The vine’s uptake of nutrients is consistent during the growing season

A

False

The nutrients a vine needs and the amount it needs of them change during the season

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4
Q

Why is nutrient management important during a growing season?

A

A vine’s nutritional needs change during the growing season

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5
Q

What is more problematic: nutrient excess or nutrient deficiency?

A

Nutrient deficiencies are generally worse though either can be an issue

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6
Q

What are some methods of improving soil nutrition?

A

Fertilizers

Cover Crops

Composts

Mulches

Manures

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7
Q

True or False

An inconsistent supply of nutrients is nutrients is not harmful to a vine, provided the vine receives sufficient nutrition during the growing season

A

False

Inconsistent soil nutrition creates opportunities for pests and disease to exploit

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8
Q

What soil management technique can be applied to achieve and/or maintain a loam texture?

A

None

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9
Q

What soil management technique can be applied to achieve and/or maintain a stable crumb structure?

A

Adding organic matter

Lack of disturbance

Weed control

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10
Q

What soil management technique can be applied to achieve and/or maintain sufficient water?

A

Irrigation

Improve soil structure

Weed control

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11
Q

What soil management technique can be applied to achieve and/or maintain good drainage and aeration?

A

Drainage systems

Deep cultivation

Weed control

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12
Q

What soil management technique can be applied to achieve and/or maintain a high level of microbial and macrobial activity?

A

Drainage systems

Good soil structure prior to planting

Control soil compaction

Weed control

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13
Q

What soil management technique can be applied to achieve and/or maintain a pH between 6 and 7.5

A

pH correction

Lime applications

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14
Q

What soil management technique can be applied to achieve and/or maintain sufficient nutrition?

A

Adding organic matter or chemical fertilizers

Weed control

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15
Q

What soil management technique can be applied to achieve and/or maintain sufficient soil depth and volume?

A

Applying fertilizer and/or manure

Weed control

Drainage

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16
Q

How are nutrients lost from the soil?

A

Uptake by the vine

Removal of crop

Leaching

Erosion

Rain

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17
Q

How are nutrients added to the soil?

A

Return of leaves and pruning waste

Nitrogen fixation from the air

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18
Q

What concerns would a grower have regarding soil fertility and the application of fertilizers?

A

The complexity of calculating soil fertility losses and gains

The influence of rootstock

Quality versus quantity

Which elements are essential for vine growth and performance

Which fertilizers should be applied and when they should be applied

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19
Q

What are macronutrients?

A

Nutrients that appear in the highest proportions in the grapevine, each between .2% and 3% of a vine’s dry weight.

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20
Q

What are micronutrients?

A

Nutrients that appear in smaller amounts in the grapevine.

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21
Q

What do nutrient deficiencies affect?

A

Vine Health

Vine Growth

Yield

Quality

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22
Q

True or False

Specific growth restrictions or alterations in leaf color can be affected by nutrient deficiency

A

True

Chlorosis, for example, is a yellowing of the leaves caused by iron, nitrogen, magnesium, and/or sulfur deficiency

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23
Q

How does most Nitrogen appear naturally in soils?

A

Through organic matter

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24
Q

In vineyards, especially “bare soil” vineyards, how does Nitrogen enter the soil?

A

Through chemical fertilizers or legume (bean, clover, peas, lucerne) cultivation, which is in turn broken down by micro-organisms.

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25
Q

In what climates is Nitrogen deficiency in the berry most likely to occur? Why?

A

Warmer climates

Nitrogen presence in the vine is tied to photosynthesis, which occurs at lower rates as temperature gets too high for the vine to manage

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26
Q

How can Calcium be added to a soil?

A

In the form of Calcium Carbonate, which also affects soil pH

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27
Q

How can Manganese deficiency be corrected?

A

By spraying with manganese sulfate, an easy and common task

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28
Q

How can Molybdenum deficiency be corrected?

A

By spraying with molybdenum

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29
Q

How can Copper deficiency be corrected?

A

Some fungicidal sprays (Bordeaux Mixture) contain copper, making toxicity more of a concern in vineyards with a history of spraying

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30
Q

How can Sulfur deficiency be corrected?

A

Through the use of sulfur applications, though such a soil condition is rare due to sprays that control powdery mildew

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31
Q

How can Iron deficiency be corrected?

A

A carefully applied foliar spray

Lime-resistant rootstock are another option

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32
Q

How can Zinc deficiency be corrected?

A

A foliar spray applied before flowering

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33
Q

When is soil analysis used to determine the nutrient availability of a soil?

A

Typically before establishment, but it should be repeated every two to four years to show vineyard performance

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34
Q

Aside from soil analysis, how can nutrient deficiency be identified?

A

By petiole (leaf stem) and leaf analyses

These are complementary and offer broad identification of nutrient deficiencies, though petiole analysis is more common due to the petiole’s responsiveness to change

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35
Q

What is the source of visual identification of nutrient deficiency in a soil?

A

Vine leaf color

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36
Q

Before initiating a fertilization program to correct poor vine performance, what should be done in the vineyard?

A

Eliminating pests, diseases, or irrigation issues that may be disrupting the vine.

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37
Q

Which nutrient pairs are important to balance in the soil?

A

Magnesium (Mg) and Potassium (K)

Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K)

Manganese (Mn) and Iron (Fe)

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38
Q

True or False

Chemical fertilizer should be applied to a soil when planting new vines

A

True

The additional nutrition helps to give the young plants a good start

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39
Q

What minerals typically comprise a pre-planting fertilizer application? Why?

A

Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), and Magnesium (Mg)

These are slow-migrating minerals

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40
Q

If needed, when should Nitrogen (N) be added to a vineyard? When shouldn’t it be added?

A

Nitrogen should be added in the spring when established vines may require more Nitrogen than is available in the soil to shoot vegetation and flower.

Nitrogen should not be added to soil when planting new vines as it is highly mobile and can create a high level of mineralization of organic matter.

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41
Q

If needed, when should Potassium (K) and Phosphorus (P) be added to a vineyard?

A

In the autumn (spring for light soils)

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42
Q

What is the disadvantage of petiole and leaf analysis compared to soil analysis?

A

Petiole and leaf analysis will show that there is a nutrient deficiency in the soil, but it can not inform how much of the nutrient is available nor how much fertilizer should be applied. Soil analysis offers this detail.

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43
Q

What is fertigation?

A

Fertilizer administration through irrigation lines, typically by drip irrigation

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44
Q

How are macronutrients often applied to a vineyard?

A

To the soil surface or the subsoil

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45
Q

How are micronutrients often applied to a vineyard?

A

Through a foliar spray

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46
Q

What are synthetic/inorganic fertilizers?

A

Fertilizers manufactured from minerals and by artificial means. They often come as powders, granules, or crystals and are typically available in single-nutrient forms.

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47
Q

What are Straight Fertilizers? What are their advantages and disadvantages?

A

A fertilizer that contains only one nutrient. Since vines are typically only deficient in one nutrient at a time in the vineyard, the application of straight fertilizers can be precisely measured and don’t risk affecting other nutrients.

Straight Fertilizers are more expensive than organic fertilizers.

48
Q

What are Compound Fertilizers? What are their advantages and disadvantages?

A

A fertilizer that contains two or more nutrients. These are more expensive than straight fertilizers and the balance of a vineyard may be easier to disrupt, but labor costs can be reduced if multiple nutrients in the soil are deficient.

49
Q

What is the risk of applying micronutrients too close to harvest?

A

Micronutrients are applied as foliar sprays. If the micronutrients are delivered too close to harvest, the residue of the spray may be present on the grape bunches when delivered to the winery.

50
Q

What are organic fertilizers?

A

Fertilizers derived from plant or animal residue, either fresh or composted.

51
Q

What are the advantages of using organic fertilizers?

A

They are inexpensive (sometimes free)

They improve soil structure, friability, and aeration

They encourage soil organisms

52
Q

What are the disadvantages of using organic fertilizers?

A

They need to be worked into the soil for maximum effect

The release of nutrients is not timed and requires soil micro-organisms

They are bulky and expensive to transport and spread

It is challenging to time the application of organic fertilizers

53
Q

What are a grower’s ground cover options?

A

Cover Crops

Mulches
Composts and Animal Manures

54
Q

What are cover crops?

A

A deliberately selected range of vegetation planted between the rows of vines (or every other row depending on vineyard conditions) which are important water and soil management tools.

They may be temporary or permanent.

55
Q

How do cover crops aid vine growth?

A

Stabilize soils on slopes by limiting water runoff and soil erosion

Enhance organic matter levels and reduce dust levels

Restrict weed growth

Compete for water and nutrients in environments rich with both

Enhance biodiversity

56
Q

True or False

It is more difficult to move machinery through a vineyard when there is a cover crop.

A

False

Cover crops reduce the likelihood of compaction and enable tractors to enter vineyards sooner after rain events

57
Q

What types of crops are typically used for cover? Which is most useful and why?

A

Legumes and Cereal Crops

Legumes are particularly useful because they fix atmospheric nitrogen via symbiotic, root-nodule Rhizobium bacteria, creating less need for nitrogen fertilizers

58
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using legumes as cover crops?

A

Legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen to the soil via symbiotic, root nodule Rhizobium bacteria

They have a higher water demand than cereals

59
Q

What are some legumes that can be used as cover crops?

A

Clovers

Peas

Beans

Vetches

60
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using cereals as cover crops?

A

Cereals require less water than legumes

They do not easily transfer nitrogen to the soil

61
Q

True or False

Low-growing cover crops are best for use in the vineyard.

A

True

Low-growing crops do not interfere with photosynthesis by blocking the vine’s foliage.

62
Q

What are some cereals that can be used as cover crops?

A

Rye

Oats

Barley

63
Q

Why is indigenous vegetation, especially perennial grass, recommended for use as a cover crop?

A

Well-adapted to local conditions

Perennial grass grows primarily during winter, thus providing little competition for vines

Takes long to establish but self-sustaining once it does

64
Q

What are the disadvantages for using cover crops?

A

They compete for water and nutrient resources in non-irrigated regions

Increase biodiversity, thereby providing cover for vineyard pests

In some places, an increased frost risk where the cover crop is not plowed in before budburst

65
Q

In vineyards where water and nutrients may be scarce, how can cover crops be implemented?

A

Using cover crops temporarily by plowing them into the soil (entirely or in alternate rows) to add nutrients, improve soil structure, and reduce water competition. They are typically planted in Autumn and plowed before budburst.

These are also known as green manures.

66
Q

Why is biodiversity good for a vineyard?

A

Earthworms, vital to the soil, prefer biodiverse environments.

The presence of food sources for animals such as wasps, ladybirds, and spiders can reduce the threat of pests

67
Q

What is mulch composed of?

A

It is typically partly rotted vegetable matter, such as decaying leaves, shredded cuttings and bark

68
Q

How are mulches used and what do they do?

A

Mulches are typically applied to the top of the vineyard soil, usually under the vine.

They prevent soil erosion, deter annual weeds, trap moisture, fertilize the soil,, discourage water runoff, and improve soil structure by enhancing microbe and earthworm activity

69
Q

What can be used as mulches?

A

Compost

Animal Manure

Dark Plastic Sheeting

70
Q

What are the disadvantages of using mulches?

A

They may harbor pests

They may trap too much soil moisture, increasing vigor

Dark mulches may increase frost risk in some areas

71
Q

What are the advantages to using dark plastic sheets as mulches?

A

They are effective weed control, keep moisture in the soil, and increase soil temperature to boost microbial activity

72
Q

What are the disadvantages to using dark plastic sheets as mulches?

A

They cost a great deal to purchase, install, remove, and dispose

They may increase frost risk in some areas

73
Q

What is a compost?

A

Typically a mixture of organic material, such as decomposed vegetation matured under microbial activity, to be used later as compost or mulch.

74
Q

What is the benefit of composting?

A

The material becomes more consistent in physical structure and chemical composition, especially if the material comes from very different sources

75
Q

Describe well-matured compost.

A

A ready source of organic matter that is uniformly dark, friable, and softly textured material containing beneficial microbes.

76
Q

How is compost created?

A

Organic matter (grape pomace/marc mixed with animal slurry or poultry manure) is piled around two meters high.

At this size, the internal temperature is able to rise to between 55°C and 70°C due to microbial activity decomposing organic matter. This heat also kills weed seeds and some pathogens.

The compost needs to be “turned” to re-introduce oxygen and ensure all of the matter is exposed to the microbial activity.

It takes six months.

77
Q

When are animal manures typically applied as mulches?

A

The winter months when the vines are dormant.

78
Q

What effect does soil compaction have in the vineyard?

A

It damages soil structure, affecting water drainage, root penetration, and air flow.

79
Q

True or False

Soil compaction is a predictable risk of operating a vineyard.

A

True

This is especially so when machinery repeatedly operates along the same tracks

80
Q

When are soils most at risk of compaction?

A

When they are wet

81
Q

How can soil compaction be alleviated?

A

Plowing through the compaction layer (where possible)

Improving soil structure by adding gypsum, growing cover crops, or increasing organic matter

82
Q

What are the two types of water management?

A

Irrigation
(adding water)

Drainage
(subtracting water)

83
Q

What are natural methods of ensuring drainage in a vineyard?

A

Planting on a slope

Planting on well-draining soils

84
Q

When should drainage systems be installed?

A

Prior to planting the vines

85
Q

What is irrigation?

A

The controlled addition of water to the vine-soil complex in order to grow and ripen fruit

86
Q

Where might irrigation by illegal?

A

In some appellations of European Union member states, as well as several other regions internationally

87
Q

How is the volume and timing of irrigation determined?

A

Vine Growth Stage

Cultivar

Soil Type

Climate and Weather

Desired Yield and Quality

88
Q

What effect might too much water at the beginning of the growing season have on the vine?

A

Excessive vegetative vigor that negatively affects fruit quality

89
Q

What effect does insufficient water between budburst and fruit set have on the vine?

A

Reduced fruit set, berry size, and inflorescence initiation for the following year

90
Q

What effect does water stress between flowering and fruit set have on the vine?

A

Reduced quantity and quality of yield

91
Q

What is water stress?

A

Physiological stress experienced by a plant due to lack of available moisture

92
Q

When might water stress be beneficial to a vine for the purposes of grape production? Why?

A

Between fruit set and veraison.

It may accentuate fruit quality by encouraging the vine to switch from vegetative growth to fruit development

93
Q

How does water stress after veraison affect yield?

A

It is likely to reduce berry size and yield

Severe water stress compromises flavor balance in the berries

94
Q

What complementary options do growers have to affect water uptake by a vine?

A

Rootstock selection

Cultivar selection

95
Q

What factors determine which irrigation techniques (if any) are used?

A

Soil Type and Texture

Soil Depth

Plowing Practices

Topography

Installation and Maintenance Costs

96
Q

What effect can excess nutrients have on a vine?

A

The vine can grow to a size that can’t be sustained by the soil

97
Q

What effect can the deficiency of a nutrient have on a vine?

A

A nutrient deficiency may negatively affect the vine’s uptake of other nutrients

98
Q

What irrigation systems are available?

A

Flood or Furrow

Sprinklers

Drip Irrigation

99
Q

What is flood irrigation?

A

An inefficient system of irrigation that uses a system of levees and weirs to retain water in one section of a vineyard before moving it along to the next. The water comes from a nearby natural source.

100
Q

What is furrow irrigation?

A

An inefficient system of irrigation that uses trenches between rows of vines to funnel water. These can follow contour lines, making them more useful on steep terrain than flood irrigation.

101
Q

What are serious considerations regarding flood/furrow irrigation?

A

The system uses a lot of water and clean water is becoming an increasingly precious resource

Soil erosion and run-off are risks

Weed growth near the vine’s is encouraged

102
Q

What is sprinkler irrigation?

A

The use of sprinklers - typically 25-35 per hectare - to irrigate a vineyard

103
Q

Name the types of sprinkler irrigation.

A

Above canopy, where sprinklers are mounted on 2.5m poles

Below canopy

104
Q

What are the advantages of sprinkler irrigation?

A

More efficient than flood/furrow irrigation

Can protect against frost

Costs are straight forward and modest

Pesticides and fertilizers can be easily added to the irrigation water

105
Q

What is the benefit of flood/furrow irrigation?

A

Cheap to use after initial design/installation

106
Q

What are the disadvantages of sprinkler irrigation?

A

May remove recently applied pesticides

May encourage fungal disease

Under canopy sprinklers may get clogged and/or encourage weed growth

107
Q

What is drip irrigation?

A

A precision irrigation system that delivers water directly to the vine’s root system via under-vine water lines

108
Q

What are the advantages of drip irrigation?

A

Precise application of water during the growing season to maximize yield and/or quality

Causes roots to congregate at the drip site, making fertilization easier

Highly efficient

Can be automated

109
Q

What are the disadvantages of drip irrigation?

A

Costly to install and maintain, though worth it if the cost of water is high or its availability low

Emitters can clog if the water is not filtered

Water must be applied frequently as roots will congregate toward the surface

110
Q

Name two refinements to drip irrigation.

A

Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI)

Partial Rootzone Drying (PRD)

111
Q

What is Regulated Deficit Irrigation?

A

The application and deprivation of water at certain times during the vine’s growth cycle to control water stress and, thus, grape quality.

This is usually applied to black cultivars.

112
Q

At what time during the vine’s growth cycle is water stress typically induced when using regulated deficit irrigation? Why.

A

After véraison

Any significant water stress after véraison reduces yield and delays sugar accumulation, resulting in higher color, tannin, and flavor concentration

113
Q

What is Partial Rootzone Drying?

A

A means of irrigation where water is applied alternately to one side of a vine, allowing the roots on one side to receive water while the other is drying

114
Q

What is the advantage of Partial Rootzone Drying?

A

It is more water efficient. The vine is trained to use less water for an equal amount of photosynthetic activity

115
Q

What is the disadvantage of Partial Rootzone Drying?

A

It is twice as costly as other drip irrigation systems as it relies on two water lines (one on each side of the vine)

WSET Diploma Unit 2 (OUT OF DATE) (18 decks)

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