Influence of floor management technique on grapevine growth, disease pressure, and juice and wine composition: A review

Abstract

Vineyard floor management has multiple goals that encompass improving weed management and soil conservation, reducing soil resource availability to control vine vigor, and influencing desirable aspects in wine quality. This review addresses the effects of cultivation, weed control, cover crops, and mulch on vine growth and balance, disease pressure, yield, and juice and wine quality in many growing regions (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, and the western United States); offers recommendations for practical use; and highlights research needs. In the last decade, more literature has been published on mulching and cover cropping than on cultivation and herbicide use, suggesting stronger interest in cover cropping and mulching practices for vineyards. Cover crops have the potential to improve soil and vine health, can be adapted to many climates and soils, and may influence vine vigor by adjusting parameters such as the length of their growth period, coverage of the vineyard floor, and aggressiveness. Cover crops increased juice soluble solids, anthocyanins, and other phenolic components and decreased titratable acidity and pH. They were associated with red wines judged superior to those issued from non-cover-cropped vines. Use of organic mulches resulted in improved vine balance, soil water content, and friability, increased yields, and reduced pathogen and pest pressure. Plastic and fabric mulches remain impractical due to high installation cost. Application of newer techniques such as flame weeding or soil steaming is limited due to difficulty in targeting the appropriate stage of weed growth and limited susceptibility of some weed species to these techniques. Research needs include development of multiyear, multidisciplinary studies that use a mechanistic approach to link management practices to soil processes, grapevine responses, grape and wine composition, and sensory characteristics. ©© 2012 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. All rights reserved.