terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Congress on Grapevine and Wine Sciences 9 2ICGWS-2023 9 Selecting green cover species in the under-trellis zone of Lower Austrian vineyards

Selecting green cover species in the under-trellis zone of Lower Austrian vineyards

Abstract

The under-trellis zone of vineyards is a sensitive area through which vines cover a significant portion of their nutrient and water needs. Mechanical and chemical methods are applied to suppress competing and tall-growing weeds to ensure optimal vine growth conditions. In addition to higher operating costs and depending on the soil conditions, these practices might lead to a long-term reduction in soil fertility and biodiversity. The presented study aims to analyse the suitability and interspecies competition of a selected green cover mixture of five local herbaceous species as potential green cover mixture in the under-trellis area of Lower Austrian vineyards. A combined mixture of five herbs (Arenaria serpyllifolia, Thymus serpyllum, Potentilla argentea, Sedum acre, Sedum album) were planted (0,0625 m2 per plant) in the under-trellis area of two Lower Austrian vineyards in Rohrendorf (loess) and Zöbing (loess-sand). The research design involved a split-plot design with four plots, each plot with five vines. After 110 days plant performance and ground coverage were assessed on cover plant basis. The overall results showed promising growth rates of four out of five green cover species within the first year. The growth rates of T. serpyllum, P. argentea, S. acre, S. album ranged between 10,42-23,44% on both sites. A. serpyllifolia showed with 0,00-1,56% a reduced growth rate. Comparing the two sites, plant performance was higher in Rohrendorf with dominating loess, compared to Zöbing with increased sand content, potentially due to increased water and nutrient availability. Similarly, the results of the ground coverage showed differences with coverage rates of 12,15% in Rohrendorf and 3,68% in the Zöbing vineyards. In summary the study suggests a suitable site adaption of four analyzed green cover species in the first season. Further long-term experiments involving seeding techniques, grapevine interaction, soil analyses and additional green cover species are recommended.

DOI:

Publication date: October 9, 2023

Issue: ICGWS 2023

Type: Poster

Authors

Markus Eitle1*, Marlene Milan2, Sabine Plenk3

1 IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Department of Business, Institute of Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing, Krems, Austria
2 Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Germany FiBL, Department Sustainable Farming Systems, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
3 University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department of Landscape, Spatial and Infrastructure Sciences, Institute of Landscape Architecture, Vienna, Austria

Contact the author*

Keywords

green cover, under-trellis, sustainable vineyard management, Austrian viticulture, biodiversity, Vitis vinifera

Tags

2ICGWS | ICGWS | ICGWS 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

The influence of pre-heatwave leaf removal on leaf physiology and berry development

Due to climate change, the occurrence of heatwaves and drought events is increasing, with significant impact on viticulture. Common ways to adapt viticulture to a changing climate include site selection, genotype selection, irrigation management and canopy management. The latter mentioned being for instance source-sink manipulations, such as leaf removal, with the aim to delay ripening.

Read More

Cover crop management and termination timing have different effects on the maturation and water potentials of Glera (Vitis vinifera L.) in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Inter-row soil tillage in vineyards, stimulates vigor and production due to the absence of competition for water and nutrients, however negatively affects organic matter content, soil erosion, and compaction, resulting in reduced fertility. In this study, we investigated the effects of different cover crop management approaches, including cultivation type and termination timing, on the physiological and productive responses of a Glera vineyard.
The experimental trial was conducted in Precenicco (UD) from 2019 to 2021. A commercial mixture for autumn cover cropping was sown in alternating rows, and the sowing pattern was changed each year.

Read More

Identification of important genomic regions controlling resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses in Vitis sp. through QTL meta-analysis

In the context of global change, the environmental conditions are expected to be more stressful for viticulture. The choice of the rootstock may play a crucial role to improve the adaptation of viticulture to new biotic and abiotic threats (Ollat et al., 2016). However, the selection of interesting traits in rootstock breeding programs is complex because of the combination of multiple targets in a same ideotype. In this sense, the integration of studies about the genetic architecture for desired biotic and abiotic response traits allow us to identify genomic regions to combine and those with interesting pleiotropic effects.

Read More

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.

Read More

Foliar application of urea improved the nitrogen composition of Chenin grapes

The nitrogen composition of the grapes directly affects the developments of alcoholic fermentation and influences the final aromatic composition of the wines. The aim of this study was to determine the effect and efficiency of foliar applications of urea on the nitrogen composition of grapes. This study was carried out during 2023 vintage and in the Chenin vineyard located in Estacion Experimental Mendoza (Argentina). Three urea concentrations 3, 6 and 9 Kg N/ha (C1, C2, and C3, respectively) and control (T) were applied in this vineyard at veraison.

Read More