Abstract
ABSTRACT To study the effect of winter cover crops on the vegetative, productive and qualitative behavior of "Cabernet Sauvignon" grapevines, an experiment was conducted in two wine harvests by sowing different species of winter cover crops and additional treatments with manual weeding and mechanical mowing in an experimental vineyard located at the Experimental Station of Epagri in Videira, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Plant attributes of the grapevine, such as number of rods and weight of pruned material and number of branches per plant. At the time of skin color change, petioles of recently matured leaves were collected for analysis of the levels of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn and B. Moments before harvest, 100 grape berries were collected randomly to determine the total soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH. At harvest, the number of bunches per branch, the number and mass of clusters per plant and the average mass of clusters per plot were determined. Fresh and dry matter yields of the cover crop and weed plants were also determined when coverage reached full bloom. The winter cover crops did not alter the yield and quality of "Cabernet Sauvignon" grapes and showed no differences from each other for the management of spontaneous vegetation by hand weeding or mechanical mowing. Rye and ryegrass are effective alternatives for weed control alternatives. The species of white and red clover present difficulty in initial establishment, producing a small amount of biomass.
Highlights
Cover crops play fundamental roles in agricultural ecosystems by preserving and enhancing physical, chemical and biological structures of the soil
The first works carried out in the South of Brazil to stimulate the cultivation of cover crops in vineyard soils were developed in the mid-1980s, in the municipality of Bento Gonçalves, state of Rio Grande do Sul (Pancotto et al, 2004)
For the formation of the orchard, seedlings of “Cabernet Sauvignon” grafted on Paulsen 1103 rootstock were planted in the spacing of 1.5 x 3.0 m and plants conducted in trellis system
Summary
Cover crops play fundamental roles in agricultural ecosystems by preserving and enhancing physical, chemical and biological structures of the soil. These are long term structural changes with the least possible impact on natural resources. The first works carried out in the South of Brazil to stimulate the cultivation of cover crops in vineyard soils were developed in the mid-1980s, in the municipality of Bento Gonçalves, state of Rio Grande do Sul (Pancotto et al, 2004). The use of this practice has been intensified, today most of the orchards are planted in completely bare soil, through routine application of herbicides. The use of soil cover in the orchards reduces and even eliminates the use of herbicides. The effect of cover plants on weeds may be suppressant by means of plant mass deposition and even allopathic effect with the release of allele chemical that inhibit the growth of weeds (Bettoni et al, 2011; 2012)
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