Cover Crops Affect Performance of Organic Scarlotta Seedless Table Grapes Under Plastic Film Covering in Southern Italy

Abstract

In sustainable or organic vineyard systems, the introduction of cover crops could represent a powerful tool for farmers to influence, positively, the agro-ecosystem by promoting the whole soil-plant system equilibrium. Concerning table grape production, nitrogen fertilizers are medium-high; for environmental aspects, organic viticulturists are more interested in legume inter-row cover crops. Research on cover crop effects was carried out in 2015–2016, on organic table grapes (the Sugranineteen variety) in Mediterranean conditions. Three inter-row soil management techniques were compared: (TR) inter-row spacing was cultivated with subterranean clover; (V) inter-row spacing with common vetch incorporated in the soil as green manure, and (RC) inter-row spacing with common vetch flattened by the roller crimper technique, making a living mulch. No significant difference was recorded in grapevine water status among the treatments. RC vines performed the highest net photosynthesis rate from shoot growth to veràison. Cover crops did not affect cluster weight, berry weight, and juice composition; however, they influenced berry detachment force. Our research findings confirmed that legume cover crops (subterranean clover and common vetch) increased soil organic matter and could represent an economic and sustainable soil use to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers applied in table grape production.

Cover Crop for a Sustainable Viticulture: Effects on Soil Properties and Table Grape Production

“…Compared to the conventional tillage, cover crops produced an average increase of organic C content of 136%. This value was considerably higher than that found by Tarricone et al [25], who measured a 33% increase after two years of cover cropping in a Mediterranean vineyard, although starting from a higher initial organic C content in the bare soil (17.3 g kg −1 , against 2.6 g kg −1 of our study). Moreover, the more prolonged duration of cover crops in our study (up to six years) was responsible for the higher organic C accumulation in soil, as also evidenced by Fourie [26].…”

“…Cover crops slightly reduced the berry detachment force in 2012 and 2013, whereas any difference was observed between the two treatments in 2014 ( Figure 7). Influence of different cover crops on the berry detachment force was reported by Tarricone et al [25], however, they did not evaluate this parameter under conventional tillage, thus no comparison with our data can be done.…”

Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions

“…Grape ecosystem services provided by Mediterranean vineyards are particularly threatened, because soil functions are often impaired by yearly repeated intensive agricultural practices or weed and pest management. The authors demonstrated that the potential of soil management practices to enhance soil functioning, can be promoted by the presence of a cover crop, even temporarily, in the inter row [20,21]. Moreover, Almagro found that improved soil management in rainfed Mediterranean agroecosystems can be a powerful strategy to mitigate the current atmospheric CO 2 increase, through soil carbon sequestration and stabilization [22].…”

“…On the contrary, the practices adopted in the treatments with the cover crop or temporary intercropping considerably improved the N self-sufficiency of the system. Beneficial effects have been found in grapes [20,21]. Grape ecosystem services provided by Mediterranean vineyards are particularly threatened, because soil functions are often impaired by yearly repeated intensive agricultural practices or weed and pest management.…”

Biochar–compost mixture and cover crop effects on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, yield, and fruit quality in an irrigated vineyard

“…Cover crops, however are reported as the main input of N to the soil. Tarricone et al (2020) reported an average of 18% increase in soil total N using subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) or vetch as undervine cover crop in a table grape vineyard in Italy. The reduction in soil N in 0-30 cm depth in our study can be related to low N input using a grass-based cover crop (Tarricone et al 2020), light texture of the soil with low physical protection capacity (Maestrini et al 2015), possibility of N leaching, and high spatial variability in soil total N concentration (Poeplau and Don 2015).…”