Structure and management of traditional agroforestry vineyards in the high valleys of southern Bolivia

Pablo Oliva Oller,Christian Gary,Erick Langer,Martin Notaro

doi:10.1007/s10457-021-00725-4

Abstract

In the south of Bolivia, a group of traditional wine growers are distinguished by the cultivation of grapevines on native trees that serve as tutors. These growers currently represent one of the few examples of agroforestry vineyards in the world. They offer an opportunity to analyze the structure and management of these cropping systems, and to identify the ecosystem services provided by the combination of grapevines that are trained on trees. We characterize 29 agroforestry vineyards located in three high valleys in southern Bolivia, describing the main farm features, the structure and management of the vineyards, and the advantages of on-tree vine staking as recorded by the farmers. Farms were small (2.2 ha on average), with about half viticulture and half other crops and forage. The workforce was about half family and half employees. The most commonly used tree species were the molle tree (Schinus molle) and chañar tree (Geoffroea decorticans), and the majority of grape varieties grown were landraces such as “Negra criolla” and “Vicchoqueña.” The main cultivation techniques were pruning of the trees and vines, application of manure more than mineral fertilizers, gravity irrigation, and application of few pesticides. The main services farmers expected from trees were protection against climate hazards and flooding, disease control, maintenance of soil fertility, and higher yields. Agroforestry is a promising option for the agroecological transition of viticulture, which deserves further studies at both plot and farm scales.

Highlights

Viticulture has evolved during the second half of the twentieth century towards monocrop systems that are highly dependent on inputs, on plant protection products
As in Notaro et al (2020), most agronomic and economic variables were provided by farmers, whereas the structure of the agroforestry systems was observed in the field
The present study describes the main features and performances of a type of viticulture, in the form of agroforestry, that was common in the past, but which has virtually disappeared today

Summary

Introduction

Viticulture has evolved during the second half of the twentieth century towards monocrop systems that are highly dependent on inputs, on plant protection products This has resulted in better control of grape production, and created environmental impacts that are detrimental to the sustainable development of wine. As a matter of fact, species of the genus Vitis are usually liana that naturally grow on trees (Keller 2020) Such agroforestry systems have been cultivated for centuries, but very few of them remain at the present time. In the few modern vineyards that have been reported, rows of vines are alternated with rows of trees to make these agroforestry systems compatible with mechanization (Gosme et al 2019; Bourgade et al 2020) These agroforestry vineyards exhibit a high level of biodiversity, which is associated with environmental sustainability and considered favorable to the agroecological transition of farming systems (Maraux et al 2013)

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Discussion

Conclusion