Cover Crop for a Sustainable Viticulture: Effects on Soil Properties and Table Grape Production

Concetta Eliana Gattullo,Matteo Spagnuolo,Anna Maria Stellacci,Giuseppe Ferrara,Mirko Castellini,Giuseppe Petrelli,Giuliana Occhiogrosso,Giuseppe Natale Mezzapesa

doi:10.3390/agronomy10091334

Abstract

Cover crops are increasingly adopted in viticulture to enhance soil quality and balance the vegetative and reproductive growth of vines. Nevertheless, this sustainable practice has been only recently used for table grape viticulture, with results often contrasting. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a fescue (Festucaarundinacea Schreb.) cover crop on soil quality, yield, and grape qualitative parameters in a table grape vineyard (cv “Italia”) located in southern Italy, comparing results with the conventional tillage. Soil organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), microbial biomass C (MBC), β-glucosidase (BGLU) and alkaline phosphomonoesterase (APME) activities were assessed during three growing seasons (2012–2014) and three phenological stages. The trend of soil chemical and microbiological properties was jointly influenced by the soil management system, growing season and phenological stage. Compared to conventional tillage, cover crops increased, on average, soil organic C, total N, MBC, BGLU and APME by 136%, 93%, 112%, 100% and 62%, respectively. Slight or no effects of cover crops were observed on grape quality and yield, except for 2012 (the driest season), when a yield reduction occurred. This study reveals that cover crops strongly enhance soil quality in the short-term, with potential advantages for grape production in the long-term.

Highlights

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the main fruit crops cultivated all over the world, with a global production of 73.1 million tons of fresh grapes in 2018, including 23.5 million tons of table grapes [1,2]
The present study demonstrates that the fescue cover crop strongly improves, in the short-term, the soil chemical and microbiological properties of a table grape vineyard
The higher BGLU and alkaline phosphomonoesterase (APME) activities measured in the presence of cover crops are indicative of a better nutrient cycling in soil, with potential advantages for the reduction of fertilization in the long-term

Summary

Introduction

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the main fruit crops cultivated all over the world, with a global production of 73.1 million tons of fresh grapes in 2018, including 23.5 million tons of table grapes [1,2]. Dynamic and non-renewable system, which plays a key role for delivering ecosystem services, such as the biomass production, carbon sequestration, nutrient storage and cycling, water retention and filtration, climate mitigation, and preservation of biodiversity [3]. Among these functions, carbon sequestration is crucial for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emission and preservation.

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Conclusion