Weed control in a newly established organic vineyard

Callie S. Bolton

Environmental concerns regarding the impact of agriculture have created ever-growing pressure for growers to incorporate increasingly sustainable practices. Consumer demand for organic grape products, the major organic horticultural fruit crop worldwide, has led to growers seeking more information on organic grape production. Within organic grape production, weed management is the most critical issue with a newly established vineyard. In 2009, an organic vineyard was established to analyze the effectiveness of cover crops compared to tillage for weed control. Five treatments were applied to ‘Pinot noir précoce’ (PNP) and ‘Madeleine angevine’ (MA) grapes during the first two years of establishment. Weed control treatments were standard cultivation between-row and handweeding in-row (ST), in-row tillage with Wonder Weeder® and grass ((Lolium perenne L. and Festuca rubra L. ssp. arenaria ‘Osbeck’ F. Aresch.) cover crop seeded between-row (WW), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. ‘Otis’) cover crop and in-row string-trimming (W), Austrian winter pea (Pisum arvense L.) cover crop and in-row string-trimming (P), and wheat and pea cover crop mix and in-row string-trimming (W/P). Weed biomass in September 2009 was greater in the P treatment than under ST and W. Weed biomass in July 2010 was greater in W, P, and W/P than in ST or WW. By September, however, weed biomass was not different among treatments. Plot maintenance in ST required more time than WW or the annual cover crop treatments. MA produced more shoot growth than PNP in September 2010. Grapevines under ST measured significantly longer than vines under any other treatment. Weed biomass was reduced by the wheat and pea cover crops, and the vine growth was also negatively affected by these cover crops. Wheat and pea did not differ in their level of competition with the weeds or the grapevines. Cultivation and hand weeding reduced weed biomass, but hand weeding required the greatest maintenance. In a newly established organic vineyard, the most effective and efficient management regime includes a vegetative-free zone in-row maintained using a specialty cultivator to minimize the need for hand weeding and a perennial cover crop in the alleyway to reduce weed biomass.

Weed control in a newly established organic vineyard

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