Vineyard Pruning Research Articles

Effect of Different Cutting Heights of Mechanically Pruned Grapevines cv. Merlot Over Three Consecutive Seasons

The mechanisation of various vineyard operations reduces production costs and labour requirements, thus allowing for the more efficient management of larger vineyards. However, pruning mechanisation has been associated with yield decline (a decrease in fruit production due to the elongation of the fruiting positions out of the trellis system area), over cropping and unstable yields. Furthermore, manual followup has been a common practice for most vineyards subjected to mechanised pruning. A Merlot vineyard was studied for three consecutive seasons in terms of its vegetative and productive aspects, and hand pruning was compared with mechanised alternating pruning strategies. Bud burst was more successful in hand-pruned vines compared to mechanically pruned vines. However, hand pruning took longer and produced a lower yield compared to mechanical pruning. Traditional high (25 cm above the cordon wire) mechanical pruning showed deteriorating characteristics over time in vegetative and yield parameters. Vines pruned at a lower height (12 cm above the cordon wire) in one of the three seasons maintained high production. Despite higher yields, fruit soluble solids, pH and titratable acidity were not altered. The quantity of second-crop fruit from lateral shoots was small and was very similar among treatments. Mechanical pruning at a lower height in one season in general reduces the annual potential yield, but the average and cumulative effects over the years improve compared to using just traditional high mechanical pruning. These long-term effects make it feasible to fully mechanise vineyard pruning and maintain high yields.

Investigation of different pretreatment methods of Mediterranean-type ecosystem agricultural residues: characterisation of pretreatment products, high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis and bioethanol production

ABSTRACTAgricultural and agro-industrial lignocellulosic residues represent an important renewable resource for the production of fuels and chemicals towards a bio-based economy. Olive pruning, vineyard pruning and almond shells are important residues from agricultural activities in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. In the current work, bioethanol production from the above three types of agro-residues was studied, focusing on the effect of different pretreatment methods on enzymatic saccharrification efficiency of cellulose and production of second-generation bioethanol. Dilute acid, hydrothermal and steam explosion pretreatments were compared in order to remove hemicellulose and facilitate the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of the hemicellulose-deficient biomass to glucose. Enzymatic hydrolysis was performed in a free-fall mixing reactor enabling high solids loading of 23% w/w. This allowed hydrolysis of up to 67% of available cellulose in almond shells and close to 50% in olive pruning samples, and facilitated high ethanol production in the subsequent fermentation step; the highest ethanol concentrations achieved were 47.8 g/L for almond shells after steam explosion and 42 g/L for hydrothermally pretreated olive pruning residue.

Influence of compost addition on soil properties, root growth and vine performances of Vitis vinifera cv Cabernet sauvignon

The effect of compost application on soil fertility, vine below-aboveground growth, yield and grape quality was investigated over 5 years (2009–2013) in a commercial vineyard in the northeastern Italy. Two different types of compost (compost from vine pruning waste and from cattle manure) and two application methods (inter-row and under-row distribution) were tested on mature Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Vine vegetative growth, yield and grape composition were analyzed, along with soil characteristics and on root density and distribution. The results demonstrated that long-term addition of compost to a vineyard could be beneficial to soil properties, including organic matter and microbial biomass. Furthermore, significant effects of organic amendments on vine root development, grape yield and fruit quality were observed, depending on the compost type and on the application method. Addition of compost from cattle manure or vine pruning waste stimulated either higher vegetative growth or high root development, the latter when amendment was locally supplied in the under-row. In both cases, a reduction in fruit quality was observed, likely due to competition between the canopy or roots and the fruit. Inter-row application of compost from vineyard pruning waste produced the best overall performance, displaying well-balanced root/canopy growth, increased yield, and satisfactory grape quality.

Vineyard pruning waste as an alternative carbon source to produce novel biosurfactants by Lactobacillus paracasei

Abstract Cellulosic sugars extracted from vineyard pruning waste (VPW) were used as a low-cost carbon source for biosurfactant production by Lactobacillus paracasei. The results obtained showed that when glucose from VPW was used, the biosurfactant was a glycolipopeptide, whereas when it was replaced by lactose the biosurfactant produced was a glycoprotein. Additionally, it was found that the extraction process, either with phosphate-buffer or phosphate-buffer saline, influenced the biosurfactant chemical structure and emulsion capacity. Overall, these results highlight the possibility of producing biosurfactants “a la carte” with the same strain but changing the carbon source, increasing its potential in different industrial applications.

Vineyard pruning residues pellets for use in domestic appliances: a quality assessment according to the EN ISO 17225

Nowadays many types of biomass are studied to satisfy the increased demand of renewable energy based on pellet combustion. However, only a few biomasses fulfil the high quality standard required for pellet used in domestic appliances. European and International standards in force define this quality of non-industrial use of pellets in term of the origin of biomass, physical, mechanical and chemical parameters. Vineyard residues are a worldwide potential source of energy but their compliance to be used in domestic pellet stoves has not been yet proven according to the new standards in force. In order to meet this need, this study makes an exhaustive characterisation of vineyard based pellets manufactured from residues of Prosecco (Glera variety) vineyards, assessing both the quality of biofuel and its behaviour during combustion in a domestic pellet stove. The quality of biofuel has been evaluated according to the in force standards for wood and non-woody pellets. The results show that vineyard pellets do not meet the type B quality standards required for non-industrial use of wood pellet mainly because of the high amount of ash content (>2%) and the high amount of copper (>10 ppm) but they fulfil the specifications of the type B non-woody pellets. Furthermore, during combustion test of vineyard-based pellet the high emission of CO indicates incomplete combustion; and vineyard- based pellet NOx emissions are more than double compared to those obtained during the control tests, confirming that the analysed vineyard-based pellets are unsuitable, as they are, for use in traditional pellet stoves.

A comparison of thermal decomposition of vineyard pruning waste in the flow of air and nitrogen

The article deals with a thermal decomposition of vineyard pruning waste. The samples were tested by means of thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry in the flow of air and nitrogen. Thermal gravimetric analyses were performed up to a temperature of 650°C and differential scanning calorimetry up to a temperature of 600°C. The heating rates were 2°C.min−1, 5°C.min−1, 10°C.min−1, 15°C.min−1 and 20°C.min−1 in both cases. Values of activation energies were subsequently calculated from the obtained results using various methods. The maximum mass loss of the samples was observed in the temperature range from 297.5°C to 319.3°C in the case of test with air and in the case of test with nitrogen in the range between 330°C and 367.3°C. The values of activation energy of thermal decomposition in the air were higher than the values in the case of nitrogen atmosphere.

A comparison of thermal decomposition of vineyard pruning waste in the flow of air and nitrogen

A comparison of thermal decomposition of vineyard pruning waste in the flow of air and nitrogen

Microbiota Characterization of Compost Using Omics Approaches Opens New Perspectives for Phytophthora Root Rot Control.

Phytophthora root rot caused by Phytophthora nicotianae is an economically important disease in pepper crops. The use of suppressive composts is a low environmental impact method for its control. Although attempts have been made to reveal the relationship between microbiota and compost suppressiveness, little is known about the microorganisms associated with disease suppression. Here, an Ion Torrent platform was used to assess the microbial composition of composts made of different agro-industrial waste and with different levels of suppressiveness against P. nicotianae. Both bacterial and fungal populations responded differently depending on the chemical heterogeneity of materials used during the composting process. High proportions (67–75%) of vineyard pruning waste were used in the most suppressive composts, COM-A and COM-B. This material may have promoted the presence of higher relative abundance of Ascomycota as well as higher microbial activity, which have proved to be essential for controlling the disease. Although no unique fungi or bacteria have been detected in neither suppressive nor conducive composts, relatively high abundance of Fusarium and Zopfiella were found in compost COM-B and COM-A, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that studies compost metabolome. Surprisingly, composts and peat clustered together in principal component analysis of the metabolic data according to their levels of suppressiveness achieved. This study demonstrated the need for combining the information provided by different techniques, including metagenomics and metametabolomics, to better understand the ability of compost to control plant diseases.

Biomass availability and quality produced by vineyard management during a period of 15 years

Agricultural residue could become a potential biomass source for energy production because it is available every year in areas accessible to tractors and vehicles. The aim of this work was to quantify the biomass available and its fuel characteristics, considering pruning residue from management of five main vine varieties planted in northwest Italy (barbera, dolcetto, cortese, cabernet sauvignon, and moscato) for a period of 15 years (from 2000 to 2014). Throughout the test period, pruning residue production ranged between 0.45 and 1.34 kg (1850–5360 kg ha−1) per plant. The average higher heating value of the five vine varieties tested ranged from 17.92 to 18.02 MJ kg−1, whereas the lower calorific value ranged between 7.34 and 7.96 MJ kg−1. The average ash content was approximately 3.85%. No statistical difference in biofuel characteristics was found between the vine varieties considered. This study highlights the high potential of vineyard pruning residue as a biofuel for energy production. In contrast, it is of considerable importance to know that biomass production can vary considerably between vine varieties and between years. This latter aspect is very important because, according to reference years, it is possible to under- or overestimate biomass production.

Evaluation of the characteristics of vineyard pruning residues for energy applications: effect of different copper-based treatments

The role of biomass for increasing renewable energy sources mix is considered fundamental, despite some negative environmental impact of first-generation biofuels. The use of biomass obtained in a more sustainable way, as represented by agricultural wastes, should be favoured. The Mediterranean area and Italy in particular offer a large amount of vineyard pruning residues that can be converted into bioenergy. Since vineyards are exposed to treatments based on copper (Cu) and zinc, these metals last in wood residues during pruning and accumulate in the soil. In this study an evaluation of the concentrations of copper and other heavy metals in grapevine pruning wastes, when treated with common plant protection products, was carried out. The study was also extended to the soil, being potentially mixed to the biomass in the case of mechanical collection of pruning residues. The grapevine residues free of impurities that were collected during this study have typical values of copper in pruning wood, varying from 8.5 mg kg<sup>–1</sup> when treated with low Cu product, to 19.2 mg kg<sup>–1</sup> when treated with high Cu product. It was observed that contaminations during pruning with soil could increase the amount of copper in the residues. More in detail, every percentage point of soil that winds up on pruning residues involves an increase of 1 mg of Cu every kg of biomass. For this reason, we recommend the use of appropriate systems for the harvest of grapevine residues, particularly mechanical systems that avoid soil lifting. Moreover, we suggest the use of pruning residues preferably in large-scale power plants with appropriate emission filters instead of small-scale domestic boilers.

Leachate Composition of Temperate Agricultural Soils in Response to Biochar Application

Biochar (BC) as a soil amendment has found considerable interest in global agriculture and food production. However, BC application to agricultural soils requires knowledge about side-effects on leachate composition potentially affecting deeper soil layers and groundwater. We investigated the effects of BC application on leachate water characteristics in a greenhouse pot experiment with two crops cultivated in series, mustard (Sinapis alba L., cv. Serval) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Xanadu). The experiment was set up with three agricultural soils (Planosol, Cambisol, Chernozem), four different BC types, derived from three different feedstocks (wheat straw, woodchips, and vineyard pruning), added at two application rates of 1 % (w/w) and 3 % (w/w). Leachate sampling was performed five times from November 2010 to May 2011 by excess watering. The leachates were analyzed for their pH, electrical conductivity (EC), as well as their nitrate (NO3 −), dissolved phosphorus (PDISS), potassium (K+), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. The application of all BCs caused a significant pH increase in the leachates; EC increased most noticeably in the straw biochar treatment. All BC types significantly decreased leachate NO3 − loads (by up to 80 % for woodchip-derived BC) compared to the control, while PDiss and K+ loads most significantly increased in the straw-derived BC treatment. The results show that BC may be suitable as soil amendment in soils prone to NO3 − leaching; moreover, whereas straw-derived BC in particular may support soil nutrient status by introducing P and K.

Preliminary Optimization of Alkaline Pretreatment for Ethanol Production from Vineyard Pruning

Vineyard pruning is a potential lignocellulosic feedstock for bioethanol production from agricultural woody residues, due to its high sugar content and ready availability in whole Europe. Ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass requires a pretreatment step and then enzymatic hydrolysis process to release sugars for fermentation to ethanol. In this work, alkaline pretreatment with NaOH on vineyard residues was investigated on laboratory scale. The raw material was firstly characterized in order to determine cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content, using the standard laboratory analytical procedures for biomass analysis provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Then, based on Response Surface Methodology tool (RSM), a Box-Behnken model was chosen to define a design of experiments (DoE) in terms of the three independent variables that influence the process: the NaOH concentration, the reaction time and the temperature of the pretreatment process. According to the design, 15 samples of raw material were submitted to alkaline pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis and the glucose yield from whole process was calculated. The statistical optimization was carried out with Minitab 17 software, in order to determine the best operative pretreatment condition by maximizing the glucose yield from enzymatic hydrolysis.Results show that the best glucose yield was obtained at the highest sodium hydroxide concentration and temperature of the reaction; this condition allowed to achieve very significant glucose yield thanks to lignin removal performed with the pretreatment.

Delignification of vineyard pruning residues by alkaline peroxide treatment

Vineyard pruning residues were subjected to alkaline peroxide treatment for delignification. Experimental conditions maximizing lignin removal were determined by using Box–Behnken statistical experiment design. NaOH/Biomass, H2O2/Biomass and retention time were chosen as independent variables and percent lignin removal was the objective function. Experiments were done at constant Solid/Liquid ratio of 0.1 (w/w) and 135°C. All parameters were found to have significant effect on lignin removal. Complete delignification was obtained in 120min at a NaOH/Biomass ratio of 1.10 and a H2O2/Biomass ratio of 0.65. The solid residue consisted of 95% total carbohydrate indicating significant carbohydrate enrichment after complete delignification.

Trace element biogeochemistry in the soil-water-plant system of a temperate agricultural soil amended with different biochars.

Various biochar (BC) types have been investigated as soil amendment; however, information on their effects on trace element (TE) biogeochemistry in the soil-water-plant system is still scarce. In the present study, we determined aqua-regia (AR) and water-extractable TEs of four BC types (woodchips (WC), wheat straw (WS), vineyard pruning (VP), pyrolyzed at 525 °C, of which VP was also pyrolyzed at 400 °C) and studied their effects on TE concentrations in leachates and mustard (Sinapis alba L.) tissue in a greenhouse pot experiment. We used an acidic, sandy agricultural soil and a BC application rate of 3% (w/w). Our results show that contents and extractability of TEs in the BCs and effectuated changes of TE biogeochemistry in the soil-water-plant system strongly varied among the different BC types. High AR-digestable Cu was found in VP and high B contents in WC. WS had the highest impact on TEs in leachates showing increased concentrations of As, Cd, Mo, and Se, whereas WC application resulted in enhanced leaching of B. All BC types increased Mo and decreased Cu concentrations in the plant tissue; however, they showed diverging effects on Cu in the leachates with decreased concentrations for WC and WS, but increased concentrations for both VPs. Our results demonstrate that BCs may release TEs into the soil-water-plant system. A BC-induced liming effect in acidic soils may lead to decreased plant uptake of cationic TEs, including Pb and Cd, but may enhance the mobility of anionic TEs like Mo and As. We also found that BCs with high salt contents (e.g., straw-based BCs) may lead to increased mobility of both anionic and cationic TEs in the short term.

Ethanol production from vineyard pruning residues with steam explosion pretreatment

Second generation bioethanol is a renewable fuel that can be produced from cellulosic biomass through hydrolysis and fermentation based processes. Vineyard pruning residues constitute a potential lignocellulosic substrate for bioethanol production, since they have high sugar content and are a renewable, cheap, and readily available feedstock. In this work, vineyard pruning residues were firstly characterized to determine the content of ash (3.0 ± 0.0%), extractives (12.2 ± 0.0%), acid insoluble lignin (31.6 ± 2.2%), glucan (28.4 ± 0.9%), XMG (14.4 ± 0.4%), arabinan (2.6 ± 0.2%), and acetyl groups (3.9 ± 0.8%) using the standard laboratory analytical procedures for biomass analysis provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Vineyard pruning residues were then pretreated in a steam explosion pilot unit at severity of 3.83, 4.24, 4.56, and 4.69. The two pretreated water insoluble fiber fractions, characterized by the highest cellulose recovery yield, were tested for ethanol production by separate hydrolysis and fermentation process. The composition of pretreatment products, the enzymatic digestibility, and the ethanol yield were analyzed. Results show that the maximum ethanol yield (8.9 g ethanol/100 g raw material) is obtained after pretreatment at a severity of 4.24. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 34: 802–809, 2015

Study of the physical properties of calcium alginate hydrogel beads containing vineyard pruning waste for dye removal

In this work the morphological and surface properties of a biocomposite formulated with vineyard pruning waste entrapped in calcium alginate hydrogel beads were studied. The formulation of the calcium alginate hydrogel beads, containing vineyard pruning waste, was based on the capacity of this green adsorbent to remove dye compounds from wastewater, observing that in the optimum condition (1.25% of cellulosic residue, 2.2% of sodium alginate and 0.475molL−1 CaCl2) the percentage of dyes was reduced up to 74.6%. At lower concentration of CaCl2, high-resolution optical images show that the elongation of the vineyard-alginate biocomposite decreased, whereas the compactness increased. Moreover, higher concentrations of cellulosic residue increased the biocomposite roundness in comparison with biocomposite without the cellulosic residue. Interferometric perfilometry analysis (Ra, Rq, Rz and Rt) revealed that high concentrations of CaCl2 increased the roughness of the of the calcium alginate hydrogel beads observing vesicles in the external surface.

Characterization of chemical–physical, structural and morphological properties of biochars from biowastes produced at different temperatures

Biochar production from biowastes (e.g. digestate) is currently one of the more innovative and unexplored fields of research. A complete characterization of these materials, also according to the production temperature, would be a key tool to assess their potential use as soil amendments. For this purpose, five feedstocks (sewage sludge, municipal organic waste, cattle manure and silage digestates, poultry litter and vineyard pruning residues) were pyrolyzed at different temperatures. Structural and morphological transformations of biomasses during heating were followed by using FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and hyperspectral enhanced dark-field microscopy, a novel technique that provides both spectral and spatial information in one measurement. In addition, biochar microstructure (i.e. surface area and pore size distribution) using CO2 and N2 adsorption isotherms was investigated. Specific density was also analysed by a helium pycnometer. Biochars exhibited considerable chemical, structural and morphological differences depending on temperature and feedstock type. Moreover, specific density and surface area increased with the temperature. In particular, heating was able to produce a sharp increase of mesopore and micropore volume especially at 450 and 550 °C, but with different intensities for each feedstock. Thanks to the hyperspectral analysis, distinctive spectral patterns depending on the biochar chemical composition as well as the spatial distribution of the components were found. The results demonstrated that, from a physical–chemical point of view, it is not possible to identify an “ideal” biochar able to improve both soil nutrient content and structure. On the contrary, depending on feedstocks and temperature, each biochar exhibits specific features that would make it suitable for a specific purpose.

Comparative environmental and energy profiles of potential bioenergy production chains in Southern Europe

Abstract In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to assess and compare the environmental and energy profiles of three potential bioenergy production chains using different available feedstocks in Southern European countries. Two wastes, vineyard pruning and eucalypt logging residues, and a wooden energy crop, poplar, were examined in detail. The comparative LCA study showed that the use of poplar biomass for bioenergy production has a greater impact than the use of vineyard pruning and logging residues. The contribution from the poplar-cultivation-related activities considerably affected the results, as all the activities from field preparation to harvesting have been included within the system boundaries. In contrast, all the activities performed in the vineyard and forest prior to collection of the residues have not been computed in both scenarios since they have been allocated to the driving force of these stands: grapes and roundwood, respectively. The results support the idea that forest and agricultural waste would be an interesting and potential raw material for bioenergy purposes. However, further analysis should focus on these potential bioenergy sources, namely in terms of their availability and technical burning conditions, in order to meet energy requirements. Moreover, the environmental results were compared with others from literature corresponding to electricity production using alternative biomass sources and fossil fuels. In all the categories considered for comparison, environmental benefits were reported for the electricity production using a biomass source. However, these results must be carefully used since other issues – such as production costs, water availability and land use – should be considered.

Formulation of an alginate-vineyard pruning waste composite as a new eco-friendly adsorbent to remove micronutrients from agroindustrial effluents

The cellulosic fraction of vineyard pruning waste (free of hemicellulosic sugars) was entrapped in calcium alginate beads and evaluated as an eco-friendly adsorbent for the removal of different nutrients and micronutrients (Mg, P, Zn, K, N–NH4, SO4, TN, TC and PO4) from an agroindustrial effluent (winery wastewater). Batch adsorption studies were performed by varying the amounts of cellulosic adsorbent (0.5–2%), sodium alginate (1–5%) and calcium chloride (0.05–0.9M) included in the biocomposite. The optimal formulation of the adsorbent composite varied depending on the target contaminant. Thus, for the adsorption of cationic contaminants (Mg, Zn, K, N–NH4 and TN), the best mixture comprised 5% sodium alginate, 0.05M calcium chloride and 0.5% cellulosic vineyard pruning waste, whereas for removal of anionic compounds (P, SO4 and PO4), the optimal mixture comprised 1% sodium alginate, 0.9M calcium chloride and 0.5% cellulosic vineyard pruning waste. To remove TC from the winery wastewater, the optimal mixture comprised 3% of sodium alginate, 0.475M calcium chloride and 0.5% cellulosic vineyard pruning waste.

Evaluation of harvesting technology of vineyard pruning based on a Mátra wine region case study

Wineyard pruning utilization for energy purpose is not only a theoretical possibility, the machine background has also been developed. Economic- and environmental experimentations has made by specialists and they seek to developed the best practice in logistics suitable for local conditions and they propagate the results for the potential users. Nevertheless, the utilization does not seem to be typical in Hungary and some other wine-grower countries. For example, in Hungary the additional energy from vineyard pruning eventuates – tillage, nutrient supply; – phy+tosanitary, environmental pollution; – energy management and economic questions.
 In Hungary the most important problem is practice of the vineyard pruning utilization were mentioned by the users is the establishment of collection system and the high logistic costs as Marczinkó (2007) experiences confirm this. As I experienced in practice, the winegrowers are uninterested in utilization. Most of them burn it at the end of the vineyard in many cases without considering of the relevant statutory prohibition.
 As my own several years expriment shows at Mátra wine region it is not the technical background which causes the failure. We can use effectively balers or chippers for collection. The cost of chipping is 14 535–27 000 Ft per hectars with the introduced technologies on Mátra wine region. The cost of 1 GJ of heat production is 606–1125 Ft. We can substitute the fuel with vineyard pruning and it means approximately 115 000 Ft saving for a family household per year.