Implications of social networks in agriculture: nitrogen use efficiencies of North Coast California winegrape growers

Janel Marie Skreen

The purpose of this research was to investigate and describe the primary social network structures supporting two different groups of winegrape growers in North Coast California, conventional and biodynamic. In conjunction with this network analysis we performed nitrogen mass balances at each participating vineyard to determine whether there was a significant difference in nitrogen use efficiencies (NUE) between the two agricultural management types. NUE was selected as an indicator of multipurpose quality in the overall management regime. Generally, multipurpose agriculture can be described as agriculture that is managed with the intention of creating a high quality cultivar while also improving environmental and/or social conditions within the local region and perhaps beyond. Recent research has indicated that the winegrape growers of North Coast California may have exceptional inclinations to manage vineyards with multipurpose objectives. We compared conventional and biodynamic vineyards in our study to build vi on earlier research demonstrating a tendency for biodynamic agriculture to have higher nutrient use efficiency when compared to conventional growers in the same region using similar cultivars. The aspects of growers' social networks that we explored indicate that biodynamic and conventional growers in our study region have similar network structure with regards to the composition of "weak" versus "strong" social ties: both types of growers' networks showed a greater number of weak-tie relationships. Specifically, their face-to-face interaction with wine consumers (a "weak tie") had the greatest influence on their management choices. Our analysis of nitrogen mass balances indicated that there was no significant difference in NUE between biodynamic and conventional growers, and that the NUE of both groups was exceptionally good when compared to other regions with different cultivars. This research further highlights the importance of understanding the social influences in agriculture and how they may manifest in terms of management actions and biophysical characteristics. The growers studied here, both biodynamic and conventional, provide tangible examples of how multifunctional agriculture may be created and maintained via social networks.

Implications of social networks in agriculture: nitrogen use efficiencies of North Coast California winegrape growers

Files and links (1)

Abstract

Metrics

Details