Vineyard Area Research Articles

Analysis of the Grape and Wine Market in Slovakia

Abstract The cultivation of grapes and the production of grape wine have a long tradition in Slovakia. In the paper, we deal with the analysis of the grape and wine market in Slovakia in the years 2011–2020. Vineyards have approximately 1% representation in agricultural land. The average area of vineyards in the monitored period was at the level of 11,485 ha, of which 80% were fruiting vineyards. Their acreage was mainly comprised of cider varieties (97%) and a small portion of table varieties (2%) and hybrids of all varieties (1%). The production of grapes showed a fluctuating trend, but on average 46,913 t of grapes were produced in Slovakia. The average yield was 5.3 t/ha. The territory of Slovakia is divided into 6 wine-growing regions, the largest being the Malokarpatský region, the average area of which was 4,930 ha, and the smallest region, Tokaj, with an average area of 1,091 ha. On average, 340,000 hl of wine were produced in Slovakia, of which 67% was white wine production. Imports exceeded exports of wine. The number of winemakers as well as traders with wine products is growing from year to year.

Research on the Grape Ripening Process in the Odobești Vineyard Area

Grape ripening is a very complex biochemical process on which the quality of the must and the wine depends, its evolution being differentiated according to the variety and the climatic conditions. The current global and zonal climate changes are also directly influencing the development of physiological and biochemical processes during grape ripening. This study presents the analysis of the process of growing and ripening grapes at four varieties of vines for white wines, created at R.D.S.V.V. Odobești (Șarba, Băbească gri, Miorița and Vrancea) in the period 2020-2021, by analyzing the dynamic evolution of the three parameters that define the process of grape ripening: average mass of 100 berries (g), sugar content (g/L) and total acidity (g/L H₂SO₄), from veraison to grape harvest. During the study period the average duration of the grape ripening process was shorter (38.3 days), compared to the multiannual average (42.5 days), which confirms the influence of actual climate change in Odobești viticultural area.

Degradation of traditional vineyards in Slovakia by abandonment and soil erosion: A case‐study of Vráble

AbstractWe evaluated the effect of increased erosion events and decreased management intensity on the degradation of traditional vineyards. The study area is located near Vráble, Slovakia, in an area with warm dry climate with mild winters, and Luvisol and Regosol soils. For the erosion measurements, we used the pole height method, which uses vineyard poles as a passive soil‐surface marker. The erosion of a tilled vineyard increased from 33.47 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in the period 1983–2010 to 55.34 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in the period 2010–2021. In comparison, the erosion of the hoed and grassed vineyard has not changed significantly. We also quantified the regeneration of soil in abandoned vineyards. An average increase in level of the soil surface level after abandonment in 2010 was 0.56 mm yr−1. A control plot showed minimal change in the average exposed pole height over 10 years and confirmed the reliability of the pole height method. Land cover and management practices have dramatically changed in the study area over the last decade. Only 27.16% of the total vineyard area is currently tilled and potentially threatened by soil erosion. On the other hand, 35.73% of the vineyards are abandoned; abandonment is expected to continue into the future. Therefore, the loss of management associated with vineyard abandonment is more strongly linked to their degradation than increased soil erosion intensity.

Analysis of the main physical and chemical characteristics of the vine shoots of three vine varieties from Veneto (Italy)

In Italy the agricultural residues resulting from pruning of vineyards represent a potential energy resource, in particular for the Veneto region which is the second Italian region by vineyard area. This study is aimed at analyzing the main physical and chemical characteristics of vine shoots from the annual pruning of vineyards. This is for their possible use as wood chips in small-medium size power plants. International and European standards for the analysis of biofuels were used to determine the moisture content, heat value, ash content, micro and macro elemental and fibrous fraction (lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and extractives). The samples were collected from three different vineyards in the Vicenza area. The varieties analyzed were Chardonnay, Glera and Merlot. For each variety, the three different components of vine shoots were compared: internode, node and pith, to investigate in which part of the vine shoot the greatest accumulation of metallic elements deriving from plant protection products occurs. The results show significant differences among the energy parameters of the three varieties and three vine shoot components. In particular, the pith shows low heat value and high ash content while the woody components are characterized by higher energy values. Analysis of the chemical elements showed a high content of Cu and Zn in the wood components, node and internode, causing the high ash content found. In particular, Cu content exceeds the limits set by the reference standard. As regards the analysis of the fibrous fraction, a high content of extractives was found in the pith. These extractives could be one of the explanations why the pith of the three varieties analyzed, especially in Chardonnay, have less lower heat value on dry basis (LHV0) values and high ash contents. On the contrary, the node and internode components have a higher content of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Overall, the vine shoots analyzed have characteristics suitable for a possible energy use. However, due to the high ash and Cu content, according to EN ISO 17225-9:2021 standard these can only be used as wood chips for industrial purposes in large power plants.

A forecast of Cava wine sales applied to vine planting authorizations

PurposeThis paper aims to establish the determinants of production in the Spanish Designation of Origin (DO) area for Cava wine and forecasts sales to establish vineyard area variations that maintain market equilibrium.Design/methodology/approachBy applying a vector autoregressive (VAR) model, the authors forecast demand and the consequent requirements for base wine production.FindingsThe results show that Cava sales determine the base wine supply. After forecasting demand and the consequent requirements for base wine, the authors’ results show that, to avoid oversupply, the vineyard area for Cava wine should not be increased.Practical implicationsThe paper develops a simple and effective method for DOs affected by the current European wine plantation regulations to forecast from a supply and demand perspective and their surface needs in response to market changes.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature because, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study has investigated the determinants of Cava supply and demand or defines a model to assess the effects of changes in growing areas. The model is applicable to other European protected designations of origin wines and would help policymakers to accurately establish vine planting authorizations.

Regional Economics of Viticulture in Turkey in the Period 1970-2021

The Anatolian lands, which have been home to many civilisations throughout history, have significant potential in terms of natural, cultural and economic resources. However, as in many other areas, this potential is not fully exploited in viticulture and wine sector. This study examined the development of vineyard areas and grape production in the world and in Turkey over the last 51 years, assessing Turkey's contribution to grape production on the basis of regions and provinces. According to world statistics, Turkey is one of the leading countries in terms of production area and quantity of product. Turkey has 390.221 ha of vineyards and a total production of 3.670.000 tonnes of fresh grapes. These figures place the country 5th in the world in terms of vineyard area and 6th in terms of total production. Although Turkey has a good position in terms of raisin production and market share, one cannot speak of the same situation for table grapes, wine grapes and wine markets. Therefore, it is considered that for the development of production and marketing of grapes and wine products, a foreign trade policy should be developed rapidly.

Energy Use Efficiency of Grape Production in Vineyard Areas of Nevşehir Province in Turkey

Energy Use Efficiency of Grape Production in Vineyard Areas of Nevşehir Province in Turkey

Wine clusters and Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) in Spain: an exploratory analysis

ABSTRACT The wine sector occupies a prominent place in the Spanish agrifood industry, for both the quality and the variety of its production. Although the protection of geographical designations is at the heart of Spain and European Union wine quality policy, much empirical investigation is still needed to assess the role played by business agglomerations in creating value for the territory through these quality protection systems. The aim of the paper is to identify Spanish wine clusters and characterize them from geographical, historical and economic perspectives. A deep analysis of the six wine clusters identified is carried out given the importance of these competitive environments in terms of degree of productive specialization, employment and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) at the national level. The results show that while the area of cultivated vineyards, the number of winegrowers and wineries in the six analysed cases have decreased over the last two decades, production, sales volume and especially their economic value have increased considerably. This could explain the orientation towards a differentiation strategy, in recent years, based on the reputation of the collective brand, which is translated into the marketed product.

The tolerance of grapevine rootstocks to copper excess and to the use of calcium and phosphorus to mitigate its phytotoxicity.

High soil copper (Cu) concentrations in vineyards can cause phytotoxicity to grapevine rootstocks. In order to mitigate toxicity, the use of grapevine rootstock genetic variation and the application of amendments are possible strategies. The aim of this study is to assess the tolerance of grapevine rootstocks to Cu excess and whether phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) can reduce phytotoxicity caused by Cu. Grapevine rootstock seedlings were produced from selected stakes: Paulsen 1103 (Vitis berlandieri × Vitis rupestris); SO4 (Vitis berlandieri × Vitis riparia); IAC 572 ((Vitis Riparia × Vitis rupestris) × Vitis caribaea); and Isabel (Vitis labrusca). Seedlings were grown in nutrition solution added with the following treatments: 0.3µM Cu (control); 60µM Cu; 60µM Cu and 62mg L-1 P; 60µM Cu and 400mg L-1 Ca. High Cu concentration caused phytotoxicity in all rootstocks, impairing their growth and decreasing nutrient concentration and photosynthetic activity. P and Ca addition had positive effect on the photosynthetic activity of all rootstocks, although it was not enough to revert growth to levels comparable with controls. Overall, based on the results, the application of P and Ca was not efficient in mitigating Cu phytotoxicity in grapevine plants grown in solution. Isabel was the most sensitive rootstock to Cu phytotoxicity, whereas Paulsen 1103 and SO4 presented more tolerance and can be used, together with other management strategies, in contaminated vineyard areas. Therefore, careful genotype rootstock selection for use in high Cu soils is important, while Ca and P are not efficient mitigators of Cu toxicity.

Grapevine recovery after fire and a first look at rapid damage assessment with satellite imagery

There is increasing scientific consensus that climate change is one of the underlying causes of the prolonged dry and hot conditions that have increased the risk of extreme fire weather inmany countries around the world. In December 2019, a bushfire occurred in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, where 25,000 hectares were burnt, and in vineyards and surrounding areas various degrees of scorching and infrastructure damage occurred. The ability to coordinate and plan recovery after a fire event relies on robust and timely data. The current practice for measuring the scale and distribution of fire damage is to walk or drive the vineyard and score individual vines based on visual observation. The process is time consuming, subjective, or semi-quantitative at best. After the December 2019 fires, it took many months to access properties and estimate the area of vineyard damaged. This study compares the rapid assessment and mapping of fire damage using high-resolution satellite imagery with more traditional ground-based measures. Correlations between ground visual fire damage assessments and postfire NDVI (-­0.347 to -0.084) and VARIgreen (-0.333 to 0.074) satellite imagery were significant but showed no correlation to a weak negative correlation. Canopy growth, vine fertility and starch concentrations were tracked in the two seasons following the fire event to assess vine recovery. Canopy health in the seasons following the fires correlated to the severity of the initial fire damage. Severely damaged vines had reduced canopy growth, were infertile or had very low fertility as well as lower starch concentrations in buds and canes during dormancy, which reduced productivity in the seasons following the bushfire event. In contrast, vines that received minor-moderate damage were able to recover within 1-2 years. Tools that rapidly and affordably capture the extent and severity of damage over large vineyard area will allow producers, government and industry bodies to manage decisions in relation to fire recovery planning, coordination and delivery, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their response.

Coğrafi İşaretli Erbaa Narince Bağ Yaprağı Üreticilerinin Yüksek Sistem Bağcılığı Benimsemesini Etkileyen Faktörlerin Belirlenmesi

In this study, it was aimed to determine the factors that are effective in the adaption of high system viticulture by Erbaa narince vineyard leaf producers.Comparative analysis of the two groups using primary data collected from a total of 112 farmers, of which 44 were engaged in high-system viticulture and 68 were engaged in viticulture according to goble training system in 8 villages where it was appropriate to interview 25% of the total 33 villages in Erbaa. it is made. Demographic characteristics of producers such as number of households, education level, age and gender were examined. Chi-Square and logistic regression analysis were used to determine whether social, economic and adoption factors differ in terms of groups. The factors that were effective in the adoption of high system viticulture were determined as the age of the producer, agricultural income, total vineyard area and viticulture experience. High system viticulture, which has been tried to be expanded in Erbaa since 1998, has not been found to be at the desired level. It is important to develop attractive credit facilities for directing in viticulture according to goble training system producers to high system viticulture, facilitate application processes in material and certified seedling support, and announcing supports to producers, increase the training-extension activities related to high system viticulture.

Establishment of boundaries and determination of highly valuable grape-suitable agricultural land areas using modern information technologies

The necessity of clarifying the boundaries of the most valuable productive agricultural lands represented as grape-suitable land is justified in connection with the reduction of the area of vineyards, their withdrawal from agricultural turnover. It was established that from 1982 to 2022 in the resort-city Anapa, the area of cultivated vineyards decreased by 10968 hectares or 76%. A method of clarifying the boundaries and determining the areas of grape-growing land using satellite images and data from the “Public Cadastral Map” service is proposed. The method established in 2007 provides the exclusion of forest strips, roads, outbuildings, swamps, plots from industrial land and were transferred for expansion of settlements and the assessment of obtained areas were made by ownership forms and by types of permitted use. The proposals were tested on the example of the Agricultural Production Cooperative named after Lenin of the resort-city Anapa, it was found that in addition, 1920 hectares of vineyards can be laid in this agricultural organization.

Pesticide use in vineyards is affected by semi-natural habitats and organic farming share in the landscape

Reducing pesticide use in agricultural landscapes involves understanding the environmental drivers that affect pesticide application and its subsequent effect on pests. Landscape diversification has been found to benefit natural enemies of pests that may lead to lower pest pressure, but its effect on pests and pesticide use, in particular, remains unclear. We investigated how the proportion of organic farming and semi-natural habitats in the landscape affect pesticide use in conventional and organic vineyards based on 22 pairs of vineyards selected along landscape gradients. We quantified both insecticide and fungicide use by farmers as vineyards are heavily sprayed against insect pests and pathogens. Our study indicates that the share of organic farming in the total vineyard area and the proportion of semi-natural habitats in the landscape influence pesticide use. We found a tendency for insecticide use to increase with the share of vineyards under organic farming in the landscape, both in organic and conventional fields. Fungicide use followed the same pattern but only in conventional fields. Significant increases in pesticide use due to a higher share of organic farming were small, rarely exceeding 14% of the treatment frequency index. Notably, our results revealed contrasted effects of the proportion of semi-natural habitats on pesticide use between organic and conventional farming. Landscapes with a higher proportion of semi-natural habitats tended to increase fungicide use in conventional fields while insecticide use tended to decrease in organic fields. Our results demonstrate that designing landscapes that limit pesticide use should consider farming practices and semi-natural habitats within the landscape to favour beneficial effects on pest control while minimising potential adverse effects.

Passive Sampling as a Tool to Assess Atmospheric Pesticide Contamination Related to Vineyard Land Use

The massive use of pesticides in agriculture has led to widespread contamination of the environment, particularly the atmospheric compartment. Thirty-six pesticides, most used in viticulture, were monitored in ambient air using polyurethane foams as passive air samplers (PUF-PAS). Spatiotemporal data were collected from the samplers for 10 months (February–December 2013), using two different sampling times (1 and 2 months) at two different sites in a chateau vineyard in Gironde (France). A high-volume active air sampler was also deployed in June. Samples were extracted with dichloromethane using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) (PUFs from both passive and active) or microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) (filters from active sampling). Extracts were analyzed by both gas and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 23 airborne pesticides were detected at least once. Concentrations in PUF exposed one month ranged from below the limits of quantification (LOQs) to 23,481 ng PUF−1. The highest concentrations were for folpet, boscalid, chlorpyrifos-methyl, and metalaxyl-m—23,481, 17,615, 3931, and 3324 ng PUF−1. Clear seasonal trends were observed for most of the pesticides detected, the highest levels (in the ng m−3 range or the µg PUF−1 range) being measured during their application period. Impregnation levels at both sites were heterogeneous, but the same pesticides were involved. Sampling rates (Rs) were also estimated using a high-volume active air sampler and varied significantly from one pesticide to another. These results provide preliminary information on the seasonality of pesticide concentrations in vineyard areas and evidence for the effectiveness of PUF-PAS to monitor pesticides in ambient air.

Application of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Vineyards: Water and Biotic Stress Under a Climate Change Scenario: New Challenge for Chilean Grapevine Crop.

The crop Vitis vinifera (L.) is of great economic importance as Chile is one of the main wine-producing countries, reaching a vineyard area of 145,000 ha. This vine crop is usually very sensitive to local condition changes and agronomic practices; therefore, strategies to counteract the expected future decrease in water level for agricultural irrigation, temperature increase, extreme water stress (abiotic stress), as well as increase in pathogenic diseases (biotic stress) related to climate change will be of vital importance for this crop. Studies carried out in recent years have suggested that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can provide key ecosystem services to host plants, such as water uptake implementation and enhanced absorption of nutrients such as P and N, which are key factors for improving the nutritional status of the vine. AMF use in viticulture will contribute also to sustainable agronomic management and bioprotection against pathogens. Here we will present (1) the current status of grapevines in Chile, (2) the main problems in grapevines related to water stress and associated with climate change, (3) the importance of AMF to face water stress and pathogens, and (4) the application of AMF as a biotechnological and sustainable tool in vineyards.

Exploring Wineries and Wine Tourism Potential in the Republic of Srpska, an Emerging Wine Region of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The aim of this paper is to present the current state and wine tourism potential in the Republic of Srpska with the primary focus on its wineries and their activities towards attracting wine tourists from all over the world. To achieve this, a survey was conducted among 37 wineries in the Republic of Srpska. The first part of the questionnaire included data about planted grape varieties, annual yield, wine production, vineyards areas, and winery staff information. The second part of the survey was dedicated to the degree of participation of wineries in wine tourism activities and the services offered to wine tourists. Results indicate that the major factors thwarting further wine tourism development are the lack of accommodation and catering facilities as well as tours in foreign languages. One of the problems is the current lack of wine routes generally seen as critical supporting tools for wine tourism development. Based on the research results, the authors propose two wine routes in the Republic of Srpska, the Northern and Southern wine routes. Further wine tourism development should be focused mainly on these areas.

Soil organic matter and clay predictions by laboratory spectroscopy: Data spatial correlation

Soil spectroscopy (Vis-NIR-SWIR 350–2500 nm) has known potential to predict clay content and soil organic matter (SOM), which are properties that determine soil quality. It is well known that data predicted from Vis-NIR-SWIR carry prediction errors resulting from modeling process. However, these errors are not spatially correlated and, even being numerically small, they can alter the spatial correlation of the data. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate wether clay and SOM data predicted by spectroscopy models preserve the spatial structure of data obtained by traditional chemical analyses. This was done considering a soil-spectral dataset from a small viticultural area (3 ha) in Southern Brazil. Soil samples were collected in 74 sites, in two depths (0.00–0.20 m and 0.20–0.40 m depth). Collected in 74 sites, totaling 148 soil samples. The Vis-NIR-SWIR data were used to train spectral models in raw form, and subjected to three pre-processing techniques (smoothing - SMO; Savitzky-Golay with first derivative - SGD; Binning - BIN). In the calibration step, three machine learning techniques were tested (Cubist –CUB; Random Forest –RF; Partial Least Squares Regression - PLSR). The spatial correlation of the data measured by traditional wet chemistry, as well the data predicted by spectroscopy, was analyzed clay and SOM maps were then generated by ordinary kriging for both data. Among the spectral models, the RF + SGD model presented the best cross-validation performance for clay, with R2cv = 0.95 and RMSEcv = 1.06%, and the PLSR + SGD for SOM, with R2cv = 0.98 and RMSEcv = 0.07%. The data predicted by Vis-NIR-SWIR spectroscopy preserved the spatial structure of the data obtained by the traditional wet chemical analysis. However, our results suggest that spectral modeling was more effective in predicting SOM while spatial interpolation was more effective in predicting clay. Data predicted by Vis-NIR-SWIR spectroscopy with lower accuracy increased the residuals of the spatial predictions. The clay and SOM maps prodiced with spectroscopy predictions show similarities and feasible accuracy for the use and management of agricultural soils in vineyard areas.

Leaf Area Index Estimation of Pergola-Trained Vineyards in Arid Regions Based on UAV RGB and Multispectral Data Using Machine Learning Methods

The leaf area index (LAI), a valuable variable for assessing vine vigor, reflects nutrient concentrations in vineyards and assists in precise management, including fertilization, improving yield, quality, and vineyard uniformity. Although some vegetation indices (VIs) have been successfully used to assess LAI variations, they are unsuitable for vineyards of different types and structures. By calibrating the light extinction coefficient of a digital photography algorithm for proximal LAI measurements, this study aimed to develop VI-LAI models for pergola-trained vineyards based on high-resolution RGB and multispectral images captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The models were developed by comparing five machine learning (ML) methods, and a robust ensemble model was proposed using the five models as base learners. The results showed that the ensemble model outperformed the base models. The highest R2 and lowest RMSE values that were obtained using the best combination of VIs with multispectral data were 0.899 and 0.434, respectively; those obtained using the RGB data were 0.825 and 0.547, respectively. By improving the results by feature selection, ML methods performed better with multispectral data than with RGB images, and better with higher spatial resolution data than with lower resolution data. LAI variations can be monitored efficiently and accurately for large areas of pergola-trained vineyards using this framework.

ВИНОГРАДАРСТВО СТАВРОПОЛЬСКОГО КРАЯ: ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ РАЗВИТИЯ

The authors consider the problems and prospects of the development of the viticulture industry in the Stavropol Territory. The article highlights a number of problems of viticulture, of which the main ones are the lack of funds for stable growth of vineyard areas and the shortage of high-quality planting material. The costs of laying 1 hectare of vineyard have been analyzed and the factors influencing their increase and decrease, as well as the conditions for the inflow of investments into the industry, have been identified. The need to create a nursery breeding base for further sustainable development of the industry was noted, which will require not only additional investments, but also state support at the regional level.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF 𝘛𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘦 KOCH (ACARI: TETRANYCHIDAE) WITH THE FUNGUS 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 (BALS.) VUILL., ON GRAPEYARD

The spider mite, ( Tetranychus urticae ), causes considerable damage in a large number of crops in Brazil. In the grape, the species causes serious damage to the leaves, with necrosis and premature fall, damaging the photosynthesis of the plant and consequently the production and quality of the fruits. The control of the spider mite is carried out predominantly in a chemical way, whose environmental impact can be significant. The incorporation of biological methods would reduce the legal, environmental and public risks of the use of chemical products, mainly for the in natura . In order to provide an alternative strategy to control the T. urticae to grapeyard in the northwest region of São Paulo, the study aimed to evaluate the viability of biological control through the use of the pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana under the conditions local climatic conditions under different dosages. They were sprayed in a vineyard area of the BRS-Vitória variety in Palmeira d'Oeste/SP, four combinations of products based on B. Bassiana , with and without mineral oil, in addition to a treatment containing only mineral oil, which were compared with the control in relation to the effect on eggs and adults of the spider mite and also its effects on their mortality. No significant results of the application of B. bassiana on the occurrence of eggs and adults of T. urticae were observed, even with the addition of mineral oil. However, there were positive results of the fungus application on mite mortality. Longer evaluation periods could provide better efficiency results.