D1: Approaches to grape growing 8 Flashcards
The 4 approaches to grape growing:
1) Conventional
2) sustainable
3) organic
4) biodynamic
In the second half of the 20th century, viticulture in common underwent a significant change:
1) in effect it became intensive fruit farming
2) The aims include raising production levels and reducing the labour requirements
achieved by:
* mechanisation
* chemical inpus
* irrigation
* clonale selection
3) viticulture became a monoculture
* vineyards were kept weed free by ploughing between the rows and spraying herbicides
* the use of agrochemicals in the vineyard to control pest and diseas sign increased
* also increase of mineral fertilisers
Monoculter advantages:
1) ability to mechanise the work in the vineyard
2) reduction of competition from other plants
3) ability to tend to the specific needs of a grape variety planted (irrigation, nutrition level, treatmens against hazards, pests and diseases) and to increase yields while reducing costs
Disadvantages of monoculture:
1) any plants in monoculture are much more prone to diseases (common fungal disease) and therefore need more treatments or protection
2) nutrients can be depleted (no natural ecosystem so more application of fertilisers aquired)
3) residual chemicals can find their ways into ground awater or the air, creating environmental damage (also workers)
Sustainable grape growing has three themes:
Economic, social and enrironmental sustainability
Sustainable viticulture aims to promote the natural ecosystems in the vineyards, maintain biodiversity, manage waste, min applications of chemicals and energy use and reduce the impact on viticulture on a wider environment.
Grape growers are encouraged to develop an in depth understanding of the lifecycles of the vine and of the vineyard pests and the weather forecast so they can predict and prevent pest or disease outbreak befor it occurs
IPM integrated pest management:
1) it builds on some of the insights of organic viticulture, but it is prepared to use chemical interventions when necessary
* setting tresholds at which action needs to be taken (eg pest populations reach certain level)
* identifying and monitoring pests, setting up preventative measures
* evaluating and implementing (uitvoerbare)
Institutions that support grape growers (eg university of californias ipm departement) issue detailed guidance (and often a downloadable form) for grape growers to:
1) kwow when to look for a named pest (eg omnivorous leafroller, caterpilars, moths)
2) Know what signs to look for
3) see photos of the pest and the damage it does, to help with identification
4) know how to calculate tresholds when treatment is warranted
The grape grower regularly monitors the scale of potential problems and only intervenes before they reach an economic treshold.
They seek to anticipate problems, to boost the vine’s own defence mechanisms and to act at the most effective time
* acting in this way helps to limit serious damage to crops, reduce the amount of chemicals used, save on cost and prevent plants building up resistance to those chemicals
Many counries have guidelines and standards for sustainable viticulture.
this can change from region to region
but key:
* identifying key challenges and hazards, record keeping, ways of calculating tresholds
eg: LODI rules, sustainable winegrowing NZ, “South Africa
The advantages of sustainable viticulture are:
1) a more thoughtful approach to grape growing, with attention to the economic, social and environmental impact of viticulture
2) the deployment of a scientific understanding of the threats to succesful grape growing (pests and diseases) to minimise the number of interventions needed
3) a reduction in the spraying of synthetic and traditional treatments
4) the consequent cost saving that has incentivised grape growers to work in a more sustainable way
The disadvantages of sustainable viti:
1) the term is not protected, so can be used to promote wine without a clear set of standards
2) the standards can be set too low
Organic viticulture:
1) seek to improve the soil of the vineyard and the range of microbes and animals such as earthworms
* increase thereby the health and disease resistance of the vine
2) it reject the use of man made (synthetic) fertilisers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides
The key features of organic viticulture:
1) the application of compost, which breaks down in the soil providing a slow release of nutrients for vines, and improves the structure and increases the biomass in the soil (the total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area or volume)
2) Cover crops: prevent erosion of soil and contribute to an improvement of the life of the soil
* this can be ploughed in ‘green manure’ or improving biodiversity
3) Natural fertilisers to restore the natural balance of the vineyard (animal dung (kak), natural calcium carbonate)
4) Reducing monoculture: cover crops, planting hedges and establishing ‘islands’ of biodiversity
** these techniques can also be used in sustainable viticulture to promote biodiversity and soil health and hence reduce chemical application
Organic ways to combat mildews:
1) sulfur and copper sulfate
2) monitor weather closely to determine when spraying
What about the build up of heavy metal, copper in the soil ?
1) where frequently spraying is needed the careful use of synthetic sprays are a better option for the environment
* reduce the need to use tractors in the vineyard
Organic grape growers can make use of natural predators and ecosystem mechanisms:
1) grey rot: bacterium bacillus subtilis, which competes with botrytis cinerea for space on the grape
2) sexual confusion: pheromone tags to disrupt the mating (paring) patterns of insects such as moths and mealy bugs, and in this way limit their populations
there are many certification bodies throughout the world, all the bodies should meet the standards set by IFOAM (international federation of organic agriculture movements).
an universal requirement is that the vineyard must undergo a period of conversion working to organic standards before it can be certified
- certification can add cost to the production of wine
Cost/ benefits of organic viticulture:
1) can have slightly lower yields than conventional
2) additional cost can come from the need of additional labour
* can vary over the world (cool wet climates is more difficult to manage without chemical sprays
EU organic viticulture is approaching 10% and EU accounts for 85 % of organic viti in the world:
upcoming la mancha spain: dry hot climatethat that makes for easier conversion
The five large markets in the world for organic viti:
1) Frane
2) Germany
3) USA
4) Italy
5) UK
6) Austria
** france and germany are growing fastest
Advantages of organic viti:
1) Making the health disease -resistance of the vine and the heath of the soil central aims of the grapegrower
2) the reduction in the number of chemical treatments and the elimination of spraying synthetic chemicals
3) a saving on the cost of synthetic chemicals
Disadvantages of organic viti:
1) pssible small reduction in yield generally
2) possibility of significant reductions in yield in difficult years (eg long periods of rainfall or high humidity)
3) increased reliance on copper spray, which may in turn lead to the build up of heavy metal in the soils
4) the cost and time expended on certification where this is sought
Biodynamic viti:
1) based on the work of Rudolf Steiner and Maria Thun
2) includes organic practices but also incorporates philosophy and cosmology
3) the vineyard soil is seen as a part of a connected system with the planet earth, the air and other planets
4) practitioners adapt their grape growing practices to coincide with the cycles of the planets, moon and stars
