Influence of Vineyard Floor Management on Grape and Fruit Quality

Our goal when we grow grapes is not to use any pesticides or herbicides. We have been advised by friends who are already in the business that the weeds will get out of hand very quickly. Therefore, we have been researching steps we can take in order to tame the weeds. So, the question is, how to get our vineyard to work for us and not against us. In a previous blogpost, Influence of Cover Crops on Canopy Density showed the importance of under the trellis cover crops to manage vine vigor. There is a concept called vineyard floor management that when put into practice is very beneficial for the grapevines.
The principal goals of vineyard floor management include:¹

• Weed management
• Soil conservation and improvement
• Soil nutrient and water management
• Refuge for beneficial insects
• Diminished resource availability (i.e. nutrients, water) to control vine vigor

Cultivation versus herbicide application
The article compares the benefits of cultivation and herbicide application. The disadvantage of herbicide application includes the risk of developing herbicide resistant weeds, the risk of toxicity—both to the vines and operator—and the potential for herbicide residues leaching to waterways. This is balanced by the effectiveness, ease of use and low cost. The alternative to chemical herbicides is the use of organic herbicides such as clove oil, acetic and citric acid products, and corn gluten meal for the control of weeds.
Use of cover crops
This review also mentions that overall, cover crops are clearly considered a quality element in a vineyard, with benefits to the vine that include soil protection from erosion and crusting, vine growth regulation, improved soil fertility, structure, and water-holding capacity, increased soil biological diversity, weed suppression, habitat for beneficial predators, and provides a firm footing for cultural operations.
There is more information on various mulches as well as flame weeding. This is a review that I will be rereading once we get our vineyard established.
Reference:
1. Bibiana Guerra and Kerri Steenwerth, Influence of Floor Management Technique on Grapevine Growth, Disease Pressure, and Juice and Wine Composition: A Review, Am. J. Enol. Vitic., June 2012 63:149-164; doi:10.5344/ajev.2011.10001.