Vineyard Soils Research Articles

Vineyard maturity increases arbuscular mycorrhizal and decreases plant pathogen fungal relative abundance in bulk soil across a 1,000 km Chilean gradient

Societal Impact StatementWine production has a significant impact on the global economy. Despite this, the microbial composition of the terroir has not been studied sufficiently, particularly in the southern hemisphere. Here, we investigated how bulk soil fungal communities are affected by several abiotic and biotic factors across 1,000 km of Chilean vineyards. We found that geographical distance was the main driver of vineyard soil fungal communities. Irrespective of variety, older vineyards host a higher relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and a lower relative abundance of plant pathogenic fungi. This result could lead to significant recommendations on when to apply AMF‐based inoculants.Summary The microbial dimension of the terroir has been increasingly recognized as an essential factor determining vineyard productivity and quality. Despite this, few studies have analyzed the factors affecting soil fungal communities of vineyards in the southern hemisphere. Across a 1,000 km gradient encompassing 34 Chilean vineyards, we investigated the effects of grapevine variety, geographical distance, maturity, and soil chemical properties on the diversity and composition of soil fungi. We implemented standard soil chemical analyses and ITS‐based DNA metabarcoding of bulk soil. We found that the total soil fungal composition was significantly affected by geographical distance but not by grapevine variety and maturity. Soil chemical dissimilarity also significantly affected soil fungal composition. When analyzing specific fungal guilds, we found a contrasting successional pattern: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal relative abundance was significantly higher at medium and old‐maturity vineyards compared with young vineyards, on which plant pathogenic fungi had a markedly lower abundance. Our results present several caveats: the molecular marker was not the most commonly used for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, bulk soil was sampled (instead of roots), and all abundances were relative. Still, this study constitutes one of the most extensive studies on soil fungi – both for vineyards and Chile – and might have practical implications, as knowing the drivers of fungal and mycorrhizal biodiversity can inform agricultural management decisions.

Advances in viticulture via smart phenotyping: current progress and future directions in tackling soil copper accumulation

Modern viticulture faces significant challenges including climate change and increasing crop diseases, necessitating sustainable solutions to reduce fungicide use and mitigate soil health risks, particularly from copper accumulation. Advances in plant phenomics are essential for evaluating and tracking phenotypic traits under environmental stress, aiding in selecting resilient vine varieties. However, current methods are limited, hindering effective integration with genomic data for breeding purposes. Remote sensing technologies provide efficient, non-destructive methods for measuring biophysical and biochemical traits of plants, offering detailed insights into their physiological and nutritional state, surpassing traditional methods. Smart phenotyping is essential for selecting crop varieties with desired traits, such as pathogen-resilient vine varieties, tolerant to altered soil fertility including copper toxicity. Identifying plants with typical copper toxicity symptoms under high soil copper levels is straightforward, but it becomes complex with supra-optimal, already toxic, copper levels common in vineyard soils. This can induce multiple stress responses and interferes with nutrient acquisition, leading to ambiguous visual symptoms. Characterizing resilience to copper toxicity in vine plants via smart phenotyping is feasible by relating smart data with physiological assessments, supported by trained professionals who can identify primary stressors. However, complexities increase with more data sources and uncertainties in symptom interpretations. This suggests that artificial intelligence could be valuable in enhancing decision support in viticulture. While smart technologies, powered by artificial intelligence, provide significant benefits in evaluating traits and response times, the uncertainties in interpreting complex symptoms (e.g., copper toxicity) still highlight the need for human oversight in making final decisions.

Scoping the Field: Recent Advances in Optical Remote Sensing for Precision Viticulture

The use of passive optical remote sensing (RS) has a rich history in precision viticulture (PV), with the use of RS technologies being employed in a myriad of PV applications. The present work undertakes a scoping review to examine past and current trends in the use of RS in grapevine production. It aims to identify literature gaps and new research opportunities. The Scopus database facilitated the search for relevant articles published between 2014 and 2023 using a search string of keywords. A total of 640 articles were produced by the Scopus search. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting framework, the 640 articles were reviewed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in 388 articles being deemed eligible for further data extraction. Four research questions were defined to guide the data extraction process, and a coding scheme was implemented to address these questions. The scoping review found Italy and the United States to be leading contributors to the research field, with vineyard mapping, yield estimation, and grapevine water status being the most extensively studied RS–PV applications. However, the use of RS to map vineyard soil properties and grapevine cultivars remains underexplored, presenting promising avenues for future research.

Assessment of nitrogen and phosphorus losses due to erosion in compost-treated and non-treated vineyard soils: effect of rainfall intensity

Vineyards in Mediterranean areas suffer from significant soil degradation through erosion, due to rainfall and soil characteristics, as well as soil management practices. Previous studies pointed out the nutrient losses produced by erosion and the benefits that some management practices could have on reducing erosion. This research tried to evaluate the effect of events of different intensities and to assess whether the beneficial effect of compost amendment may pose a potential risk of nutrient loss and environmental pollution in particular under high-intensity events. The study compared soil and nutrient losses in compost-treated and non-treated vineyard soils after rainfall events of different intensities analyzed over 2 years in two vineyards. Runoff samples were collected by triplicate in treated and non-treated soils. Sediment and nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in the runoff samples were analyzed. The results reveal a reduction in runoff rates and an increase in soil water content in compost-treated soils, which represents a benefit for rainfed vineyards. Both nitrogen and phosphorus losses depended on rainfall characteristics. Although for low intensities there were no significant differences in the amount of nutrient lost by runoff in both treated and non-treated soils, nitrogen and phosphorus losses were higher after high-intensity rainfall events in compost-treated soils. With the expected increase in high-intensity rainfall events associated with climate change in the Mediterranean region, organic amendments should be applied in several splits or incorporated into the soil to avoid increased nutrient loss to water bodies.

Determination of Elemental Content in Vineyard Soil, Leaves, and Grapes of Sangiovese Grapes from the Chianti Region Using ICP-MS for Geographical Identification

Determination of Elemental Content in Vineyard Soil, Leaves, and Grapes of Sangiovese Grapes from the Chianti Region Using ICP-MS for Geographical Identification

Geochemical Characteristics and Environmental Risks of Cu in the Soil of A Sloping Vineyard (Phu Tho Province, Vietnam)

In the vineyards, the intensive use of cupric fungicides and fertilizers has resulted in Cu enrichment in the soils. Specifically, in sloping vineyards, the mobility of Cu can contribute to intensify the environmental risks. The research on geochemical characteristics of Cu is a key solution to explore the distribution of Cu in different geochemical fractions and understand the mobility and toxicity of this element in the environment. In this study, we aim to investigate the geochemical properties of Cu in the vineyard topsoil (0-20 cm) and subsoil (20-40-60 cm), using the improved three-step sequential extraction procedure developed by the Commission of the European Communities Bureau of Reference (BCR). In addition, the environmental risk is calculated by the environmental risk code (RAC) based on the percentage of Cu in the acid-soluble fraction. The results reveal that the mobility of Cu in the acid-soluble fraction (F1) and reducible fraction (Cu associated with the iron and manganese oxyhydroxides) (F2) tends to decrease with increasing soil depth. The major portion of Cu mostly exists in the strong bond with silicate clays (F4), accounting for 84% of total Cu content on average. Contrarily, the minor propotion of Cu associates with soil organic matter (F3) (3% on average). On the other hand, the content and proportion of Cu in the soil fractions are largerly influenced by basic soil properties (organic matter contents and fine soil particles). In addition, under the impact of soil erosion, higher percentages of F1 and F2 fractions of Cu are observed in the surface soil layers at the top of the hill compared to those at the backslope of the hill. The mean calculated RAC of 10.66%, 5.76%, and 5.38% for the 0-20 cm, 20-40 cm, and 40-60 cm soil layers, respectively, demonstrate a low risk to medium environmental risk level in the studied vineyard. Although an overall low risk level is observed for Cu in the studied vineyard soil, the deposition of Cu originating from repeated Cu-based pesticides and erosion is of particular concern in the vineyard soils.

Mapping soil VOCs using three green sample extraction techniques and GC–MS

Sample preparation is a very crucial step prior to sample analysis. Three green adsorptive sample preparation micro-extraction techniques were investigated (smart solid-phase microextraction (SPME), high-capacity sorptive extraction (HiSorb), and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE)) for the determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from vineyard soil samples after method optimization. More specifically, the 95 μm Carbon Wide Range/Polydimethylsiloxane (CWR/PDMS) smart SPME fiber, CWR/PDMS HiSorb, and PDMS Twister micro-extraction tools were compared for their extraction capabilities. The headspace (HS)-SPME-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method was proved better for the extraction of VOCs from the vineyard soils due to shorter exposure time (45 min), its automation (use of a fully automated system compared to the other two), and the high sample throughput analysis. The validation of the HS-SPME-GC–MS method showed good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9951) and limit of detection (LOD), whereas the limit of quantitation (LOQ) ranged from 0.04-3.65 μg/kg. Also, the repeatability and reproducibility of the results showed a relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 4.73 %. A total number of 47 soil-derived VOCs were identified through the validated HS-SPME-GC–MS method, and 9 targeted VOCs were quantified with total average concentrations ranging from 0.14-28.07 µg/kg. Smart SPME fiber proved beneficial over the two other tools, highlighting the aspects of green chemistry.

Regenerative soil management practices no‐till and sheep grazing induce significant but contrasting short‐term changes in the vineyard soil microbiome

Societal Impact StatementWinegrape production is an essential cultural heritage and economic engine of many regions of the world. Regenerative management, which is gaining traction with industry and consumers alike, relies on soil biodiversity for agroecosystem function, reducing external inputs and increasing ecosystem resilience to climate change. We evaluated the effects of no‐till and sheep integration on vineyard soil biodiversity and soil ecosystem function. No‐till had stronger effects on microbial diversity, while sheep grazing stimulated microbial functioning. By providing a better understanding of the practices, we provide fundamental information for growers that want to embrace regenerative principles, ultimately contributing to the sustainability and resilience of the winegrape industry.Summary Regenerative management aims to optimize soil microbial function and diversity for enhanced agroecosystem functionality. Understanding the effects of management practices on soil microorganisms is crucial in the context of growing societal interest in this type of management. This study evaluated the short‐term effects of two soil conservation practices: sheep grazing and no‐till, on abundance, diversity, activity, and network complexity of prokaryotes and fungi in a vineyard soil. Four treatments were applied for 3 years: (1) grazed and tilled, (2) grazed and non‐tilled, (3) non‐grazed and tilled, and (4) non‐grazed and non‐tilled. We hypothesized that stacking of conservation practices (grazing and no‐till) would increase microbial diversity, function, and network complexity. Grazing had strong effects on microbial function, increasing the α‐glucosidase, β‐glucosidase, cellulase, phosphatase, and β‐xylosidase enzymatic activity by 82%, 48%, 61%, 39%, and 55%, respectively, compared to non‐grazed soils, while not causing significant changes in soil microbial diversity. Tillage had strong effects on soil prokaryotic and fungal diversity. For prokaryotes, significant interactions in alpha diversity were found between tillage and grazing, and between tillage and sampling location (tractor row and under vine). Fungal Shannon diversity index was higher in the subsoil (15–30 cm) while a significant interaction between depth, location, tillage, and grazing was found for the Chao‐1 index. Microbial network properties were only significantly affected by sampling depth. This study shows that the lack of disturbance in non‐tilled and non‐grazed soils resulted in a more diverse soil community, while grazing stimulated microbial function, thus showing a decoupling between diversity and function in vineyard soil ecosystems.

Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks in Vineyard Soils Amended with Grape Pomace Residues

Fruit crops under soil conservational management might sequester carbon (C) in soils and mitigate greenhouse gases emissions. Using grape pomace residues as soil amendment holds promise for sustainable viticulture. However, its actual capability to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) is unknown, especially in subtropical climates. This research aims to investigate whether grape pomace compost and vermicompost can increase SOC, total N (TN), and C and N stocks in subtropical vineyards. Two vineyards located in Veranópolis, in South Brazil, one cultivated with ‘Isabella’ and the other with ‘Chardonnay’ varieties, were annually amended with these residues for three years. We quantified SOC and TN in each condition in different soil layers, as well as C and N content in two different granulometric fractions: mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) and particulate organic matter (POM). C and N stocks were also calculated. Despite potential benefits, neither treatment enhanced SOC, its fractions, or C stocks. In fact, vermicompost was rapidly mineralized and depleted SOC and its fractions in the 0.0 to 0.05 m layers of the ‘Isabella’ vineyard. Our findings indicate that the tested grape pomace residues were unable to promote C sequestration in subtropical vineyards after a three-year period.

MRI and HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy to correlate structural characteristics and the metabolome of Fiano and Pallagrello grapes with the action of field spray preparation 500 and the soil spatial microvariability

BackgroundA number of Italian grape berry varieties, such as Fiano (F) and Pallagrello Nero (P), represent National strategic products. Therefore, it is important to identify soil conditions emphasizing their peculiar characteristics as well as find innovative and sustainable treatments improving their compositional and nutraceutical quality. The field spray preparation 500 is a biodynamic product that is presumed to serve as biostimulant on the vine. However, so far, the scientific results probing its effectiveness are still lacking. Moreover, it is necessary to establish a reliable relationship between the grape quality and the spatial microvariability of the vineyard’s soil. On this basis, the main objective of this work consisted in correlating structural and morphological characteristics (via MRI), the primary metabolome (via semi-solid state HRMAS NMR) and important nutraceutical parameters (total phenols and antioxidants via DPPH assay) of F and P grapes with both the action of preparation 500 biostimulant and the vineyard soil microvariability, based on soil apparent electrical conductivity.ResultsHRMAS enabled the identification of the primary metabolome of F and P. The elaboration of 1H NMR spectra through chemometrics revealed significant changes in F and P grapes, accounting for both soil microvariability and the application of field spray (the latter also confirmed by PLS-DA and Heat-map clustering). Interestingly, for both F and P it was observed a significantly lower content of carbohydrates after biostimulant treatment while MRI revealed diagnostic structural and internal details of intact grapes. The combined use of proton parametric indices, such as relaxation times and diffusion coefficients, indicated alterations induced in grapes by both the spatial microvariability of the soil and the effects of investigated biostimulant. Interestingly, a tight correlation was found between MRI transverse relaxation time and the contents in total phenols and antioxidants.ConclusionsOur results have proven that both soil spatial microvariability and the application of field spray preparation 500 significantly affect the structural, metabolomic and nutraceutical characteristics of grapes. Moreover, the preparation 500 treatment has increased the nutraceutical value of grapes. Importantly, these data may be potentially used to promote and protect biodynamic grape and predict the quality of the resulting wines.Graphical

The Application of Carbon-Based Fertilizer Changed the Microbial Composition and Co-Occurrence Network Topological Properties of Vineyard Soil

Charcoal-based fertilizer could be used extensively and is environmentally friendly. An experiment was designed to investigate the effects of different charcoal-based fertilizer application methods on soil microbiology and grape quality in a vineyard to guide the cultivation of ‘Shine-Muscat’. A control treatment without fertilization and six other treatments were set up. Four treatments applied carbon-based fertilizer as a base fertilizer with or without potassium fulvic acid, a complex microbial agent, or Bacillus subtilis, and two treatments were only applied with two applications of carbon-based fertilizer or compound fertilizer during the expansion period. The results showed that the bacterial phyla were mainly Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota dominated the fungal community. At the genus level, the composition of fungi, compared to bacteria, varied significantly, while the dominant flora differed among fertilization practices. Application of charcoal-based fertilizer enriched beneficial microorganisms, while chemical fertilizers enriched pathogenic microorganisms. The addition of microbial fungicides and biostimulants for a period reduced the size of the microbial network, lowered positive correlations, and enhanced resistance to adverse conditions and diseases and there was no significant correlation between agronomic traits and microbial network topology. A combination of soil microbial and grape agronomic traits suggests that a charcoal-based fertilizer base, with microbial fungicides applied, is the optimal fertilization regimen for grape.

Soil Microbial Communities and Wine Terroir: Research Gaps and Data Needs.

Microbes found in soil can have a significant impact on the taste and quality of wine, also referred to as wine terroir. To date, wine terroir has been thought to be associated with the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. However, there is a fragmented understanding of the contribution of vineyard soil microbes to wine terroir. Additionally, vineyards can play an important role in carbon sequestration since the promotion of healthy soil and microbial communities directly impacts greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. We review 24 studies that explore the role of soil microbial communities in vineyards and their influence on grapevine health, grape composition, and wine quality. Studies spanning 2015 to 2018 laid a foundation by exploring soil microbial biogeography in vineyards, vineyard management effects, and the reservoir function of soil microbes for grape-associated microbiota. On the other hand, studies spanning 2019 to 2023 appear to have a more specific and targeted approach, delving into the relationships between soil microbes and grape metabolites, the microbial distribution at different soil depths, and microbial influences on wine flavor and composition. Next, we identify research gaps and make recommendations for future work. Specifically, most of the studies utilize targeted sequencing (16S, 26S, ITS), which only reveals community composition. Utilizing high-throughput omics approaches such as shotgun sequencing (to infer function) and transcriptomics (for actual function) is vital to determining the specific mechanisms by which soil microbes influence grape chemistry. Going forward, understanding the long-term effects of vineyard management practices and climate change on soil microbiology, grapevine trunk diseases, and the role of bacteriophages in vineyard soil and wine-making would be a fruitful investigation. Overall, the studies presented shed light on the importance of soil microbiomes and their interactions with grapevines in shaping wine production. However, there are still many aspects of this complex ecosystem that require further exploration and understanding to support sustainable viticulture and enhance wine quality.

Effects of woodchip biochar on temperature sensitivity of greenhouse gas emissions in amended soils within a mountain vineyard

The utilization of biochar as a soil amendment holds promise for long-term carbon sequestration due to its elevated carbon content and persistent chemical structure. This characteristic has positioned biochar as a proposed nature-based solution for climate change mitigation. Nevertheless, the impact of biochar on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remains a subject of ongoing debate. In the present investigation, we evaluated the influence of conifer wood biochar on the fluxes of three GHGs, namely carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4), in a vineyard soil subjected to biochar-alone treatments (at rates of 25 and 50 t ha−1) and in combination with green waste compost (at a rate of 45 t ha−1). The experimental field was situated in northern Italy and was organized in a randomized block design. Soil GHG fluxes were monitored for two and a half years. Monthly flux measurements were conducted using a high-resolution multi-gas analyzer for 24 hours. Fluxes were, therefore, correlated with soil temperature to assess the influence of treatments on the sensitivity of GHG emissions to this pivotal environmental parameter. The findings demonstrated diminished temperature sensitivity in the initial experimental year across all GHG fluxes in soils amended with biochar and biochar-compost combination, in contrast to treatments lacking biochar (i.e., control and compost-alone treatments). Notably, the attenuation was most pronounced for N2O emissions, suggesting a potential role of biochar in mitigating the release of this gas. However, this effect did not persist in the second and third years of the experiment. Overall, biochar significantly contributed to a reduction in N2O fluxes and an increase in CO2 fluxes, but the effect was limited and temporary. Furthermore, biochar had no impact on CH4 fluxes. The discerned fluctuation in the impact of biochar over time can be attributed to the processes of biochar aging and/or the interannual variability in soil moisture.

Wine grape grower perceptions and attitudes about soil health

Developing and adopting strategies that preserve soil health from degradation due to drastic changes in climate is critical for securing sustainable viticulture. For example, healthy soils promote water infiltration, nutrient cycling, and retention functions that support grape production. However, little research has evaluated drivers of growers' decision-making processes and actions towards soil management practices that impact soil health in vineyards. The objective of this study was to assess wine grape growers' perceptions and attitudes of soil health to identify grower's most important soil health functions and definition, and to understand how these might influence behavior related to soil management practices. Therefore, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 wine grape growers understand current barriers, motivations, and opportunities for adopting and/or maintaining practices for building soil health in vineyards. Most growers described healthy vineyard soils as balanced, biodiverse, self-sustaining, and resilient systems that provide nutrient, and water cycling functions and support high-quality wine grape production. Three categories of growers emerged based on soil health attitudes including Early Adopter (n = 3), Early Majority (n = 4) and Late Majority (n = 9) groups. The main barriers for adoption and maintenance of soil health practices were high costs, potential economic risks, and lack of information on how these practices influence grape production especially for the Late Majority group. Most growers were willing to adopt more soil heath practices if additional specific, practical information could be provided on outcomes of soil health practices for wine grape production systems—especially economic benefits. The outcomes of this study guide future soil health research and outreach activities to better support growers in building and protecting vineyard soil health while achieving viticultural goals.

Effect of Multi-Year Protection of Grapevines with Copper Pesticides on the Content of Heavy Metals in Soil, Leaves, and Fruit

This study evaluates the impact of multi-year protection of grapevines using copper-based pesticides on heavy metal content in soil, leaves, and fruit under organic and conventional cultivation methods. Conducted on Solaris, Hibernal, and Muscaris grapevine varieties in north-western Poland, the research highlights significant differences between the two cultivation approaches. In organic vineyards, copper content in soil averaged 10.25 mg/kg, significantly higher than the 9.05 mg/kg found in conventional soils. Manganese levels were also elevated in organic soils (223 mg/kg) compared to conventional ones (299 mg/kg). Conversely, conventional vineyards exhibited higher zinc and lead concentrations, averaging 47.10 mg/kg and 20.34 mg/kg, respectively, versus 43.50 mg/kg and 11.22 mg/kg in organic soils. The organic soils also had higher salinity (46.50 mg/kg) than conventional ones (30.50 mg/kg). The fruits of grapevines in organic cultivation showed higher copper and zinc levels, with the Solaris variety containing 15.01 mg/kg of copper and the Muscaris variety having 11.43 mg/kg of zinc. These levels exceed the commonly encountered ranges of <1 to 10 mg/kg. Lead content in fruits was higher in organic cultivation (2.19 mg/kg) than in conventional cultivation (1.18 mg/kg), occasionally surpassing the critical value for consumable plants (1 mg/kg). Leaves of grapevines from organic vineyards had significantly higher copper and manganese content than those from conventional vineyards, with the Hibernal variety showing the highest levels. These findings underscore the necessity for monitoring and managing heavy metal content in vineyard soils to ensure fruit quality and safety.

Challenges in viticulture practices in a changing environment: Can green waste amendment benefit soil properties of vineyards in the Mediterranean?

In Southeastern France, viticulture is of great social, cultural, and economic importance. This sector is threatened by climate change particularly in the Mediterranean (longer droughts and more frequent heat waves) where soils are poor in organic matter and weakly developed. Since organic amendment can strongly modify soil properties and consequently the final products (grapes and wine), the effects of sustainable practices on soil characteristics have to be carefully assessed. This seasonal field survey focuses on the effects green waste amendment (GWA), i.e. semi-composted green wastes, have on vineyard soil functionality. The effects of GWA were compared with those of grass cover (GC), known as a sustainable practice. Soils were collected in vineyards under organic practices (Bouches-du-Rhône and Var, France) over four seasons and physico-chemical (Total C and N, pHwater, pHKCL, EC, WHC, copper content and soil organic carbon SOC) and biological (microbial respiration and biomass, microbial catabolic structure, earthworm abundance and biomass) properties were characterized. Both practices were beneficial to soil physicochemical properties. For example, under both practices, higher (2 fold) Total N and SOC on late spring were observed. Both GWA and GC favored soil microbial communities, with microbial respiration having doubled and tripled on late spring. Similar results were observed for microbial biomass and both bacterial and fungal catabolic diversities (increased approximately by half) over summer. These benefits were particularly prominent during drought season (June and August), and probably linked to a shift in microbial communities as revealed by catabolic profiles. GWA also favored abundance and biomass of earthworm during winter. These findings reveal the potential GWA to counteract the effect of tillage, to mitigate the stress from drought and to improve overall soil functionality in vineyards.

Aporrectodea caliginosa life history traits are improved by positive earthworm interaction and organic matter addition

Earthworm species interact with each other in soils, but these interactions are poorly understood. Moreover, these key soil organisms are influenced by abiotic soil components such as organic matter. Here, we investigated the influence of Allolobophora chlorotica and Aporrectodea nocturna, two earthworm species from different ecological categories, on the incorporation of organic matter, reproduction and weight change of the endogeic Aporrectodea caliginosa. Two different types of organic matter i) a compost and ii) a fresh refined organic material, both from green waste, were used. Earthworm parameters were monitored during an 8-weeks laboratory experiment using a vineyard soil in order to identify positive and negative interactions between species. Irrespective of species, earthworms interacted preferentially with smaller particles, more decomposed and with a lower C/N ratio. For an equivalent earthworm biomass, similar amount of green compost was incorporated by A. caliginosa and A. nocturna. However, A. chlorotica did not bury this material. The green compost increased the reproduction rate of A. caliginosa when associated to A. chlorotica. Moreover, the association with the epi-anecic A. nocturna increased the reproduction rate of A. caliginosa with the addition of refined organic matter (fresh material). Furthermore, in both earthworm associations, the weight loss of A. caliginosa was reduced by the addition of green compost to the soil surface. These results highlight the importance of earthworm interactions in maintaining populations, and emphasized the need of field studies to confirm these interactions, particularly in the context of soil fertility where organic amendments are often applied.

The influence of different methods of under-vine management on the structure of vegetation and the qualitative parameters of the grapes in the Moravian wine region

ABSTRACT The present article explores the importance of vineyard soil management. Studies on under-vine management have yielded a wide range of results, with some indicating potential benefits for vine growth and productivity. However, the methods of under-vine management and their specific effects on vineyard parameters require further research. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationships existing between the different types of management of under-vine areas and the vegetation grown in this zone and to determine the effects of under-vine management on the yield and quality of Traminer grapevines. By examining various approaches, the research aims to provide insights into the optimising of vineyard management methods to achieve enhanced biodiversity and grape quality in this specific geographical context. The findings indicated that management of the under-vine area can impact the composition of plants, grape yield and quality. Under-row management had an effect on the number of plant species and their composition. The highest weight of bunches was found in MIX (a species from the Fabaceae family), while the lowest was found in the MECH treatment (bare soil). MULCH, MONO and MIX consistently had higher yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) in grapes than other treatments. In many of the evaluated parameters, the influence of the seasons was evident.

Mulching with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Compost Has Beneficial Side Effects on Vineyard Soil Compared to Mulching with Synthetic Films

Municipal solid waste (MSW) compost represents a sustainable alternative to plastic film for mulching in viticulture. This study investigated the effects of MSW compost on vineyard soil properties, specifically focusing on side effects such as soil temperature and microbial decomposition activity, independently from its role in weed control. The experiment was conducted in a vineyard located in the Mediterranean region (Southern Italy), with six different mulching treatments: black polyethylene (PE) film, black and white biodegradable film, three different amounts of MSW compost (8, 15, and 22 kg plant−1), and a control without mulching. Weed growth was monitored to determine the optimal compost application amount. The 15 kg plant−1 treatment was selected for further analyses, as it did not significantly impact weed growth compared to the control. Results indicated that MSW compost mulching maintained lower soil temperatures compared to other treatments (up to 5 °C in the warmest hours) and reduced the amplitude of the thermal wave up to 50% compared to the non-mulched soil and even more compared to black film mulched soil, particularly during the warmest periods. This suggests that MSW compost can mitigate heat stress on plant roots, potentially enhancing plant resilience and preserving crop production also in stressful growing conditions. Microbial decomposition activity, assessed using the tea bag index, was higher in the MSW compost treatment during spring compared to the control, indicating temperature as a key driver for organic matter decomposition, but this effect disappeared during summer. These findings highlight the potential of MSW compost to support sustainable viticulture by reducing reliance on synthetic mulching materials and promoting environmental sustainability through the recycling of organic municipal waste.

Impact of Vineyard Fallow Practices on Reducing Meloidogyne hapla Population Densities

The northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) is a common plant-parasitic nematode in northern grape production regions. This nematode induces small galls on roots, which restricts water and nutrient uptake, resulting in poor vine establishment or exacerbated decline in stressed vines. A study was conducted to explore the impacts of site management practices on M. hapla population densities following removal of wine grape (Vitis vinifera) vineyards in Washington State. Soil was collected from 38 fields, M. hapla second-stage juvenile densities in soil were determined, and to assist in identifying M. hapla in potentially low-population density samples, an eight week-long tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) bioassay was conducted. Vineyard managers also provided information on site management techniques. Of the 20 total management techniques and combinations explored (e.g., fallow duration, cover crops, mowing, irrigation, herbicide applications), only one component resulted in lower M. hapla population densities: duration of vine-free period. A duration of at least one-year post vineyard removal showed a decline in M. hapla population densities in the sampled former vineyard sites. These results suggest that a fallow period could be useful as a non-chemical management tool for M. hapla in vineyard replant soils. However, consideration of additional site management factors such as weed management, soil series and amendments, interim crop planting, and irrigation or accumulated rainfall that may support M. hapla development is necessary.