Abstract
Cover crops may improve vineyard soil properties, grapevine nutrient status and berry composition, however, factors such as cover crop type, annual rainfall, climate and irrigation may change their effects on vineyards. From 2008 to 2011, the effects of a non-permanent cover crop and two pruning techniques on soil as well as vine nutrients and grapevine performance of two vineyards (cv. Tempranillo and cv. Bobal) were evaluated. For that purpose, two legumes were sown in inter-rows of hand-pruned vines in February and were tilled at flowering. Soil tillage, or cover cropping, was combined with either light pruning or severe pruning to study foliar nutrient variations. Soil N, P, K and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined in samples taken from the Ap1 horizon in January prior to vine pruning. Foliar N, P, K contents were measured in leaves sampled upon grape veraison. The differences between vineyards with cover cropping and bare soils suggest that legumes positively affected soil N (1.55 vs. 1.68 g kg−1 and 1.49 vs. 1.76 g kg−1 in Bobal and Tempranillo vineyards, respectively) and soil organic matter (SOM) (12.5 vs. 15.5 g kg−1 and 12.9 vs. 17.2 g kg−1 in Bobal and Tempranillo vineyards, respectively). The use of cover crops did not affect grapevine yields nor quality of Bobal and Tempranillo berry . Cover crops, or light pruning, did not alter the foliar N, P, K contents of both cultivars since their concentrations were similar to those found in the leaves from vineyards with soil tillage or severe pruning.
Highlights
Cover cropping is a management practice used worldwide which can affect soil properties, water and mineral status, organic matter contents and microbiological function in soils (Celette et al, 2009; Guerra and Steenwerth, 2012; Peregrina et al, 2014)
The differences between vineyards with cover cropping and bare soils suggest that legumes positively affected soil N (1.55 vs. 1.68 g kg−1 and 1.49 vs. 1.76 g kg−1 in Bobal and Tempranillo vineyards, respectively) and soil organic matter (SOM) (12.5 vs. 15.5 g kg−1 and 12.9 vs. 17.2 g kg−1 in Bobal and Tempranillo vineyards, respectively)
Effect of cover crops in the grapevine inter-rows on soil macronutrients and the viticultural performance of Bobal and Tempranillo grapevines
Summary
Cover cropping is a management practice used worldwide which can affect soil properties, water and mineral status, organic matter contents and microbiological function in soils (Celette et al, 2009; Guerra and Steenwerth, 2012; Peregrina et al, 2014). Some studies have reported that cover crops do not affect vine nutrition and yield (Steenwerth et al, 2013) nor alter grape quality (Sweet and Schreiner, 2010). Fierce competition for water and nutrients, especially N (Celette and Gary, 2013), occurs between vines and cover crops, which can reduce vine growth and yield (Tesic et al, 2007). Another important management practice in vineyards is pruning. Vines subjected to minimal or light pruning and with significantly increased yields could present nutritional stress since grape clusters are important phloematic sinks for organic and mineral nutrients. The combined use of a non-permanent N-fixer cover crop could help overcome nutritional deficits, N, which cannot be supplied through fertirrigation to vineyards for wine production from an ecological perspective
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