terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 GiESCO 9 GiESCO 2023 9 Subsurface irrigation: a means to reduce chemical and water inputs in vineyards

Subsurface irrigation: a means to reduce chemical and water inputs in vineyards

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study – Grape growers around the world are seeking to reduce their reliance on herbicides. However, traditional alternatives to chemical weed control do not always integrate seamlessly into established vineyard operations. Employing nonchemical weed management often requires trellis alterations, purchasing or hiring new equipment, and depending on region, may significantly increase tractor passes required to reach desired level of weed control. Critical thinking and thoughtful strategies are necessary to minimize expenditures and maintain quality during the transition away from herbicides. In this trial, irrigation was installed underground in an effort to minimize water loss due to evaporation, better direct the water to the vines, and reduce weed growth in the difficult to control undervine area.

Material and methods – Split-plot trials were established, with sections of the vineyard having dripline installed 30 cm below the surface and 30 cm off the vine row, rather than the standard above ground in-row configuration. Trials were carried out in Syrah vineyards in Hawke’s Bay and Sauvignon blanc vineyards in Marlborough, both in New Zealand. Vines received the same irrigation amounts and timing, canopy management, and spray regime as the control, the only difference being the location of the dripline. Five two vine replicates were set up in each treatment for measurements of vine performance, fruit development, juice composition, and productivity. Undervine weed growth was assessed visually as well as by measuring fresh biomass within a 625 cm2 quadrat in the vine row at budburst, flowering, veraison, and harvest.

Results – There were no consistent significant differences in canopy development, midday stem water potential, berry growth, juice chemistry, and productivity between vines receiving their water from below ground rather than above. The major consistent difference between treatments was in the amount of weed growth in the challenging undervine area. Once regular irrigation was established in the blocks, there were significant differences in the undervine weed growth between treatments. Irrigation fed weeds in the subsurface treatment grew in the alleyway, where they could be controlled with a normal mowing pass, rather than specialized under vine equipment. Having some blocks with subsurface lines allows growers to irrigate the subsurface blocks during the day and above ground blocks at night, reducing evaporative losses. Industry trials with subsurface irrigation showed that water use could be reduced by 30% with no loss in yield or quality compared with aboveground irrigation. Subsurface irrigation offers a viable way to reduce the need for herbicide sprays, and offers the potential to more efficiently irrigate, thereby reducing both the water and chemical footprints of vineyards.

DOI:

Publication date: June 22, 2023

Issue: GiESCO 2023

Type: Article

Authors

Mark KRASNOW1*, Danielle MCMILLAN1, Allison HAYWOOD1

1Thoughtful Viticulture Ltd., Blenheim, New Zealand

Contact the author*

Keywords

irrigation, subsurface irrigation, herbicide reduction, climate change, sustainability

Tags

GiESCO | GIESCO 2023 | IVES Conference Series

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.

Late winter pruning induces a maturity delay under temperature-increased conditions in cv. Merlot from Chile

Chile is considered vulnerable to climate change; and these phenomena affect several mechanisms in the grape physiology and quality. The global temperature increase affects sugar contents, organic acids, and phenolic compounds in grapes, producing an imbalance maturity. In this sense, an alternative to reduce the impact is to perform pruning after vine budburst, known as “Late Pruning” (LP).

Effect of two water deficit regimes on the agronomic response of 12 grapevine varieties cultivated in a semi-arid climate

The Mediterranean basin is one of the most vulnerable regions to Climate Change effects. According to unanimous forecasts, the vineyards of Castilla-La Mancha will be among the most adversely affected by rising temperatures and water scarcity during the vine’s vegetative period. One potential strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of these changes involves the identification of grapevine varieties with superior water use efficiency, while ensuring satisfactory yields and grape quality.

Influence of irrigation frequency on berry phenolic composition of red grape varieties cultivated in four spanish wine-growing regions

The global warming phenomenon involves the frequency of extreme meteorological events accompanied by a change in rainfall distribution. Irrigation frequency (IF) affects the spatial and temporal soil water distribution but its effects on the phenolic composition of the grape have been scarcely studied. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of four deficit irrigation frequencies of 30 % ETo: one irrigation per day (T01), two irrigations per week (T03), one irrigation per week (T07) and one irrigation every two weeks (T15) on berry phenolic composition at harvest.

Response of red grape varieties irrigated during the summer to water availability at the end of winter in four Spanish wine-growing regions: berry phenolic composition

Water availability is the most limiting factor for vineyard productivity under Mediterranean conditions. Due to the effects caused by the current climate change, wine-growing regions may face serious soil moisture conservation problems, due to the lower water retention capacity of the soil and higher soil irradiation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of soil recharge irrigation in pre-sprouting and summer irrigation every week (30 % ETo) from the pea size state until the end of ripening (RP) compared to exclusively summer irrigation every week (R) in the same way that RP, on berry phenolic composition at harvest.