New Zealand viticulture has long been characterised by sustainable grape growing practices as promoted by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) as well as by Organic Viticulture.
Over the past two decades, sustainable vineyard management practices have become increasingly important as the wine industry is facing critical challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation.
Climate change, driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is one of humanity’s most significant environmental challenges.
The weather anomalies comparing the 1971-2000 time frame and the last years has showned a dramatic scenario when, in some months, average temperature in above 3ºC and the reduction in precipitation in more than 30%.
In the context of the global crises of global warming, biodiversity and pollution, current agricultural practices need to be reconsidered.
Traditional methods for identifying downy mildew in commercial vineyards are often labour-intensive, subjective, and time-consuming.
Endogenic diseases often arise from pathogens that exist within the plant tissue, including fungi, bacteria, and viruses, which can remain latent and then emerge under stress conditions or favorable environmental conditions, causing symptoms that weaken vines or can lead to plant death.
The identification and management of intra-vineyard variability are key to precision viticulture, and sensors have been proven to be highly efficient tools for detecting these variations.
Context and purpose of the study. Berry sunburn in vineyards is a recurring disorder that can cause severe yield loss. As sunburn observations are often associated with heat waves, a link to climate change is likely.
The dynamic changes of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in grapevines during the growing season is driven by phenological events and environmental factors.
Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) is a fungal pathogen that causes a destructive disease in grapevines (Vitis vinifera).
Application of municipal solid waste (MSW)-compost as a mulching material in vineyards supports sustainable practices and aligns with both circular economy and zero-waste principles.
The grapevine is facing significant challenges due to climate change, as rising temperatures impact its physiological traits and disrupt plant phenology.
The wine industry currently relies on a limited number of grapevine cultivars, comprised of numerous clones with slight differences in their viticultural, oenological, or stress-tolerance traits.
Drought is one of the main challenges for viticulture in the context of climate change. Selecting drought-tolerant plant material can be an effective strategy for a sustainable viticulture.
Context and purpose of the study – Grape sunburn is an abiotic stress response triggered by high temperatures.
Climate change is increasing crop evapotranspiration and reducing water availability, especially in the Mediterranean area.
Grapevine rootstocks play a pivotal role in influencing scion vigor, yield, and fruit quality, making their selection critical for sustainable vineyard management.