Risk Assessment and Limiting Soil Factors for Vine Production—Cu and Zn Contents in Vineyard Soils in Galicia (Rías Baixas D.O.)

Abstract

Characteristics of vineyard soils and management practices can be assessed to determine the soil trend evolution, risks, and limits of soils for vine production through soil factors and foliar diagnosis. This study was made with soils from a vineyard divided into two plots belonging to the Rías Baixas D.O. The vineyard soils were sampled and characterized for three years. The total and available Cu and Zn contents and the physicochemical characteristics of the soils were determined annually and every four months, respectively. The main objective was to assess edaphic properties, phytosanitary treatments, fertilization, and tillage applied to indicate the quality of the vineyard soils. The soils presented certain limitations associated with mechanization, trafficability, and ease of tillage for cultivation. The soils showed a sandy loam texture, which makes the application of compost necessary to improve water retention and cation exchange capacity. Phytosanitary treatments and fungicides caused phytotoxic contents of Cu and Zn in the soils without being detrimental to the vines. In conclusion, the edaphic factors and foliar analysis were adequate to evaluate the condition of the soils and vines and to establish the necessary measures to improve the edaphic conditions of the vineyard soils to improve plant production.

Early Growth Assessment of Lolium perenne L. as a Cover Crop for Management of Copper Accumulation in Galician Vineyard Soils

“…The amount of organic matter present in the soil is a key indicator of its quality and fertility. A soil is considered to have a low organic matter content when this value is less than 2% [10]. In the context of this study, the soils analyzed showed organic matter values ranging from 1.07% (soil 13-Ribeiro) to 9% (soil 30-Ribeira Sacra).…”

“…The available Cu content of soils is much lower than the total Cu content. Available Cu levels < 1 mg kg −1 are considered deficient, while available levels > 25 mg kg −1 may be toxic to grapevines, especially in acidic soils [10] (extracted used: 0.005 M DTPA, 0.01 M CaCl 2 , and 0.1 M TEA-pH 7.3-ratio 1 g soil /10 mL solution). None of the soils exceeded 25 mg kg −1 , while 15 soils were below 1 mg kg −1 of available Cu.…”

“…The edaphoclimatic characteristics of these regions favor the occurrence of fungal diseases [8]. As a result, there is intensive application of phytosanitary treatments, primarily copper-based fungicides, to maintain the productivity of the sector [9,10].…”

Soil Abandonment as a Trigger for Changes in Zn Fractionation in Afforested Former Vineyard Acidic Soils

“…The availability and mobility of Zn in soil are influenced by its chemical forms or fractions, which can vary depending on soil properties and management practices [8][9][10][11]. A threshold of 200 mg kg −1 of total Zn in soil was established by the European Union (EU) to consider whether agricultural soil is safe or not for food production [12], while concentrations of available Zn that are higher than 15 mg kg −1 are considered to be phytotoxic [1,13]. In vineyards, a Zn excess may decrease pigments and photosynthetic efficiency, and diminish leaves' activity, chlorosis, and even necrosis, among others [6].…”

“…The total Zn concentrations in vineyard soils from the NW of the Iberian Peninsula range from 100 to 170 mg kg −1 in coastal areas, and from 60 to 149 mg kg −1 in vineyards from inland areas, while the values for available Zn (Zn extracted with EDTA or DTPA) varied from 0.8 to 25 mg kg −1 [13,14]. In other areas of the Iberian Peninsula, Zn concentrations in vineyards ranged between 16 and 154 mg kg −1 [15].…”