terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Traditional agroforestry vineyards, sources of inspiration for the agroecological transition of viticulture

Traditional agroforestry vineyards, sources of inspiration for the agroecological transition of viticulture

Abstract

A unique “terroir” can be found in southern Bolivia, which combines the specific features of climate, topography and altitude of high valleys, with the management of grapevines staked on trees. It is one of the rare remnants of agroforestry viticulture. A survey was carried out among 29 grapegrowers in three valleys, to characterize the structure and management of these vineyards, and identify the services they expect from trees. Farms were small (2.2 ha on average) and 85% of vineyards were less than 1 ha. Viticulture was associated with vegetable, fruit and fodder production, sometimes in the same fields. Molle trees were found in all plots, together with one or two other native tree species. Traditional grapevine varieties such as Negra Criolla, Moscatel de Alejandría and Vicchoqueña were grown with a large range of densities from 1550 to 9500 vines ha-1. From 18 to 30% of them were staked on trees, with 1.2 to 4.9 vines per tree. The management of these vineyards (irrigation, fertilization and grapevine protection) was described, the most particular technical operation being the coordinated pruning of trees and grapevines. Three types of management could be identified in the three valleys. Grapegrowers had a clear idea of the ecosystem services they expected from trees in their vineyards. The main one was protection against climate hazards (hail, frost, flood). Then they expected benefits in terms of pest and disease control, improvement of soil fertility and resulting yield. At last, some producers claimed that tree-staking was quicker and cheaper than conventional trellising. It can be hypothesized then that agroforestry is a promising technique for the agroecological transition of viticulture. Its contribution to the “terroir” of the high valleys of southern Bolivia and its link with the specificities of the wines and spirits produced there remain to be explored.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: May 5, 2022

Issue: Terclim 2022

Type: Poster

Authors

Pablo Oliva Oller1.2, Martin Notaro3.5, Erick Langer4 and Christian Gary5

1IDEPRO Desarrollo Empresarial, Tarija, Bolivia
2Fundación FAUTAPO, Camargo, Bolivia
3CIRAD, UMR ABSys, Montpellier, France
4School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington. D.C., USA
5ABSys, Univ Montpellier, CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France

Contact the author

Keywords

agroforestry, ecosystem services, native trees, criollo grapes, agroecology

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terclim 2022

Citation

Related articles…

Effect of foliar application of Ca, Si and their combination on grape volatile composition

Calcium (Ca) is an important nutrient for plants which plays key signaling and structural roles. It has been observed that exogenous Ca application favors the pectin accumulation and inhibition of polygalacturonase enzymes, minimizing fruit spoilage. Silicon (Si) is a non-essential element which has been found to be beneficial for improving crop yield and quality, as well as plant tolerance to diverse abiotic and biotic stress factors. The effect of Si supply to grapevine has been assessed in few investigations, which reported positive changes in grape quality and must composition.

Read More

Climatic zoning of viticultural production periods over the year in the tropical zone: application of the methodology of the Géoviticulture MCC system

L’objectif de cette recherche est le zonage climatique des périodes viticoles de l’année dans la Vallée du São Francisco, région brésilienne productrice de vins située en climat tropical semi-aride. Dans cette région, la production peut être échelonnée sur tous les mois de l’année.

Read More

Study of grape plant behaviour (cv. Chasselas) on various “terroirs” of the Vaud county (Switzerland)

L’étude du comportement physiologique et agronomique de la vigne (cv. Chasselas) a été réalisée en 2001 par la Station fédérale de recherches en production végétale de Changins sur divers terroirs viticoles vaudois (Suisse), dans le cadre d’un projet d’étude des terroirs viticoles vaudois en collaboration avec le bureau I LETESSIER (SIGALES) à Grenoble et l’École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Read More

Deciphering the color of rosé wines using polyphenol targeted metabolomics

The color of rosés wines is extremely diverse and a key element in their marketing. It is due to the presence of red anthocyanins extracted from grape skins and pigments formed from them and other wine constituents during wine-making.

Read More

Distinctive flavour or taint? The case of smoky characters in wine

Forest fires in the vicinity of vineyards have significantly increased in the last decade and are a concern for grapegrowers and winemakers in many wine producing countries. The fires cause smoke drift throughout vineyards which cannot be avoided and may result in the production of wines described as ‘smoke tainted’. Such wines are characterized by undesirable sensory characters described as ‘smoky’, ‘burnt’, ‘ash’ aromas and flavours, and also may cause a lingering, unpleasant ashy aftertaste [1; 2].

Read More