Managing Nutrients

Question 1

Soil Health

Answer 1

Structure (drainage, sufficient water holding, oxygen, resist erosion), organic matter and humus in the soil (decomposing organic matter supplies nutrients and hummus improves structure of soil), number of living organisms in the soil (earthworms and microbes break down organic matter), total amount of available nutrients

Question 2

Organic fertilisers

Answer 2

Derived from fresh or composted plant or animal materials such are manure or slurry (liquid manure). can be green manure (cover crops grown and turned into soil). Can be cheap because free but labor can be high since you need to break down the nutrients into the soil.

Question 3

Inorganic fertilisers

Answer 3

Synthetic fertilisers are manufactured from minerals extracted from the ground or synthetic chemicals. They offer no benefit for soil organisms and do not improve soil structure. Often more expanse than organic fertiliser to purchase but cheaper to transport and distribute.

Question 4

Cultivation

Answer 4

Weed control by ploughing soils to cut or disturb weed roots. Doesn’t require chemicals, enables fertiliser and mower cover crops to be incorporated into soil. Cons are repeated culmination can damage soil and ecology due to breakdown of organic matter and earthworms. Labor intensive. Can increase vine vigour too much as there is no vine competition.

Question 5

Herbicides

Answer 5

Chemical sprays that kill weeds.
Advantages - cheap in labor and machinery equipments, highly effective, less damaging to the soil structure.
Disadvantages - Can be poisonous, to operator, consumer and environment. Can develop stronger weeds resistant to herbicide. Can increase vine vigor. Are not allowed in organic and biodynamic viticulture.

Question 6

Animal Grazing

Answer 6

Advantages - no chemicals used, provide manure, can be a source of meat for humans.
Disadvantages - vines must be high for grazing, timing during off-season otherwise they eat grapes, animals need care, animals susceptible to vineyard pesticides

Question 7

Cover Crops

Answer 7

Plants that are allowed to grow to benefit vineyard.
Advantages - No use of chemicals and increase of soil biological activity, ability to induce the vigor of the vine, provides good surface for machinery, esp high rainfall climates
Disadvantages - Reduction in vine vigour, difficult to mow the under row area (time and labor) not good for steep vineyards

Question 8

Mulching

Answer 8

Spread matter onto vineyard soil to suppress weeds.
Advantage - no chemicals, can reduce water evaporation (dry climates) can be source of nutrients and humus.
Disadvantages - tends to be bulky and expensive to transport and spread, only effective if apply a thick layer so need a lot, can increase vigour too much as no competition for water or nutrients (possibly good for low vigour sites)

Question 9

Drip irrtigation

Answer 9

Most common method
Advantages - permit economic use of water, possible to control water supply, can be used to supply fertiliser, can be used on slopes
Disadvantages - installation cost, clean water required, dripper can be clogged even with clean water, cannot be used in frost protection as drippers are below the green parts of the vine,

Question 10

Flood irrigation

Answer 10

Water is stored behind a sluice and at the scheduled time released to flood the vineyard. Easy to maintain but uses a lot fo water. Can only be used on flat and gentle sloping land.

Question 11

Channel irrigation

Answer 11

Similar however the water flows down furrows dug between the vine rows. Slight better efficient of wate.