Enhancing the Rural Landscape Character: The Low Frequency of Inter-Row Wildflower Meadow Harvest Positively Affects Biodiversity While Maintaining Grape Quantitative and Qualitative Traits in a ‘Sultanina’ Vineyard in Greece

Angeliki T Paraskevopoulou,Ioannis Daskalakis,Katerina Biniari,Dionysios Perdikis,Euaggelos Pappous,Konstantinos F Bertsouklis

doi:10.3390/agronomy12030550

Angeliki T Paraskevopoulou, Ioannis Daskalakis + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030550

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Journal: Agronomy	Publication Date: Feb 23, 2022
Citations: 3	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Agricultural University of Athens

Abstract

The development of inter-row wildflower meadows in vineyards could restore and preserve biodiversity as well as enhance the local rural landscape character. Herein, the prospect of inter-row development of a wildflower meadow from spontaneous vegetation growing within a table grape ‘Sultanina’ vineyard was studied for two years through the effect of different intensities of harvest on the meadow composition, arthropod presence, and grape vine produce. Three harvest treatments (constant, periodic, and none) were examined. The growth (height and area of groundcover) and number of plants per species that composed the inter-row wildflower meadow as well as the insects found within it and on the grape vine plants were recorded. At maturity, the main quantitative (yield/vine) and qualitative characteristics (soluble solids, pH, and total titratable acidity) of the grapes were evaluated. Results showed that both the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the grape vines did not differ between treatments. The inter-row vineyard meadow composition that constituted of 21 herbaceous species did not differ between the periodic- and no-harvest treatments. Insect pests hosted within the meadow did not pose a threat to ‘Sultanina’ grapes, although thrips within the inter-row meadow showed a preference for Convolvulus arvensis. The overall results suggest the application of either a periodic- or no-harvest on the spontaneous vegetation of a Mediterranean ‘Sultanina’ vineyard over two years and constitutes the development of inter-row wildflower meadows from spontaneous vegetations as an appealing and promising sustainable vineyard floor management practice for permanent use that needs to be further researched.

Highlights

Since 1962, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy focused on increasing production and supporting the mechanization and intensification of agriculture, overlooking the socioenvironmental and topographic characteristics of the landscapes, which gradually resulted in the loss of biodiversity [1,2]
Significant differences between the no- and periodic-harvest treatments were found for three grasses (Avena sterilis, Lolium spp., Sorghum halepense), and one broadleaf (Convolvulus arvensis) species (Figure 4)
The number of Avena sterilis in 2016 and Lolium spp. in 2016 and 2017 plants decreased significantly after the March harvest in the periodic-harvest treatment compared to the no-harvest treatment (p < 0.05) (Figure 4)

Summary

Introduction

Since 1962, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy focused on increasing production and supporting the mechanization and intensification of agriculture, overlooking the socioenvironmental and topographic characteristics of the landscapes, which gradually resulted in the loss of biodiversity [1,2]. In contrast to traditional agricultural practices and organic farming that supports biodiversity, the application of intensive agriculture has led to the homogenization of the landscape and the loss of diversity [3]. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals includes “to implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, . In 2021, the Council and the European Parliament adopted the new Common Agricultural Policy with nine specific objectives, one of which is to “contribute to the protection of biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and preserve habitats and landscapes”

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