Terroir 2006 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Use of the soils information system for detailed vineyard soil surveys and as a component of precision viticulture

Use of the soils information system for detailed vineyard soil surveys and as a component of precision viticulture

Abstract

Vineyard soil surveys can be costly and time consuming. The Soils Information System (SIS) provides a set of tools to do a quick evaluation of soil physical properties in the vineyard. First, a system equipped with GPS and EM38 equipment, provides a very precise DEM and a soil electrical conductivity map. Specific sampling points are located for a tractor-mounted geotechnical probe to make soil physical measurements. Sensor readings are used to make precise estimations of soil texture, compaction, moisture and resistivity in the field. The probe reaches a depth of 1.2 to 1.5 meters. The data obtained are used to construct thematic maps, such as soil texture, soil compaction, and soil moisture availability maps. Finally, soil cores can be collected and sent to the laboratory to validate the SIS measurements and perform further analyses when required. This system has been used in vineyards located in different terroir regions of California, France and Spain. Results demonstrated a more precise delineation of soil map units than traditional survey methods using pits and augers. This approach allowed a more precise mapping of soil depth to the underlying rock layers. It also provided the information necessary to design an irrigation system in a newly planted vineyard. In summary, SIS provides a rapid and effective approach to precision mapping of terroir components and will have broad applications for precision viticulture.

DOI:

Publication date: December 22, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2006

Type: Article

Authors

Jean-Jacques LAMBERT (1), Mark STELFORD (2), John SAMUELSON (3) and James O’BRIEN (3)

(1) Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
(2) John Deere Agri Services, Hoffman Estates, IL, USA
(2) Soil and Topography Information (STI), Madison, WI, USA

Contact the author

Keywords

electrical conductivity, soil mapping, Digital Elevation Models (DEM), terroir, soil probe

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2006

Citation

Related articles…

Multidisciplinary strategies for understanding ill-defined concepts

Aims: The objective of the present work is to review strategies applied to decrypt multidimensional and ill-defined concepts employed by winemakers and to illustrate these strategies with recent applications.

Effect of the commercial inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhiza in the establishment of a commercial vineyard of the cultivar “Manto negro

The favorable effect of symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has been known and studied since the 60s. Nowadays, many companies took the chance to start promoting and selling commercial inoculants of AMF, in order to be used as biofertilizers and encourage sustainable biological agriculture. However, the positive effect of these commercial biofertilizers on plant growth is not always demonstrated, especially under field conditions. In this study, we used a commercial inoculum on newly planted grapevines of a local cultivar grafted on a common rootstock R110. We followed the physiological status of vines, growth and productivity and functional biodiversity of soil bacteria during the first and second years of 20 inoculated with commercial inoculum bases on Rhizophagus irregularis and Funeliformis mosseaeAMF at field planting time and 20 non-inoculated control plants. All the parameters measured showed a neutral to negative effect on plant growth and production. The inoculated plants always presented lower values of photosynthesis, growth and grape production, although in some cases the differences did not reach statistical significance. On the contrary, the inoculation supposed an increase of the bacterial functional diversity, although the differences were not statistically significant either. Several studies show that the effect of inoculation with AMF is context-dependent. The non-favorable effects are probably due to inoculation ineffectiveness under complex field conditions and/or that, under certain conditions, AMF presence may be a parasitic association. This puts into question the effectiveness of its application in the field. Therefore, it is recommended to only resort to this type of biofertilizer when the cultivation conditions require it (e.g., very low previous microbial diversity, foreseeable stress due to drought, salinity, or lack of nutrients) and not as a general fertilization practice.

Long-term drought resilience of traditional red grapevine varieties from a semi-arid region

In recent decades, the scarcity of water resources in agriculture in certain areas has been aggravated by climate change, which has caused an increase in temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, as well as an increase in the frequency of extreme phenomena such as droughts and heat waves. Although the vine is considered a drought-tolerant specie, it has to satisfy important water requirements to complete its cycle, which coincides with the hottest and driest months. Achieving sustainable viticulture in this scenario requires high levels of efficiency in the use of water, a scarce resource whose use is expected to be severely restricted in the near future. In this regard, the use of drought-tolerant varieties that are able to maintain grape yield and quality could be an effective strategy to face this change. During three consecutive seasons (2018-2020) the behavior in rainfed regime of 13 traditional red grapevine varieties of the Spain central region was studied. These varieties were cultivated in a collection at Centro de Investigación de la Vid y el Vino de Castilla-La Mancha (IVICAM-IRIAF) located in Tomelloso (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain). Yield components (yield, mean bunch and berry weight, pruning weight), physicochemical parameters of the musts (brix degree, total acidity, pH) and some physiological parameters related with water stress during ripening period (δ13C, δ18O) were analysed. The application of different statistical techniques to the results showed the existence of significant differences between varieties in their response to stressful conditions. A few varieties highlighted for their high ability to adapt to drought, being able to maintain high yields due to their efficiency in the use of water. In addition, it was possible quantify to what extent climate can be a determinant in the δ18O of musts under severe water stress conditions.

The evolution of the aromatic composition of carbonic maceration wines

The vinification by Carbonic maceration (CM) involves the process whereby the whole bunches are subjected to anaerobic conditions during several days. In this anaerobic condition, the grape endogenous enzymes begin an intracellular fermentation. This situation favors that whole grapes split open and release their juice into the tank, increasing the liquid phase that is fermented by yeasts [1]. Then, two types of wines are obtained; one from the free-run liquid in the tank (FCM) and other from the liquid after pressing the whole grape bunches (PCM). PCM wines are recognized as high quality young wines because their fruity and floral aromas[2] that although they are very intense at the end of the winemaking they gradually disappear during conservation.

UNRAVELING THE CHEMICAL MECHANISM OF MND FORMATION IN RED WINE DURING BOTTLE AGING : IDENTIFICATION OF A NEW GLUCOSYLATED HYDROXYKETONE PRO-PRECURSOR

During bottle aging, the development of wine aroma through low and gradual oxygen exposure is often positive in red wines, but can be unfavorable in many cases, resulting in a rapid loss of fresh, fruity flavors. Prematurely aged wines are marked by intense prune and fig aromatic nuances that dominate the desirable bouquet achieved through aging (Pons et al., 2013). This aromatic defect, in part, is caused by the presence of 3-methyl-2,4-nonanedione (MND). MND content was shown to be lower in nonoxidized red wines and higher in oxidized red wines, which systematically exceeds the odor detection threshold (62 ng/L).