Effects of temporary and permanent soil cover on grape yield and soil chemical and physical properties

ABSTRACT:

Conserving natural resources, especially soil and water, are national goals in Austria. Soil and water quality are inherently linked, therefore enhancing or improving soil quality is a fundamental step towards enhancing or improving water quality. Vineyards near Vienna, Austria, are located on steep (35%) slopes, and soil loss is a major problem. Tillage practices have been designed to reduce soil erosion. We evaluated these tillage practices in terms of each treatment's effectiveness in reducing soil erosion from vineyards. Different amounts of soil cover by manures or clover were investigated, including a bare soil treatment. The impact of each tillage practice on physical, chemical, and biological soil properties and crop (grape) productivity were also investigated. Each tillage practice had been established for eight years. Compared to bare soil treatment, manure and clover cover had a positive impact on soil quality. Also, amount and quality of grapes were greatly enhanced compared to bare soil treatment. At another field site, eight cover crops were evaluated with regard to soil cover, cover crop yield, and water use and redistribution. Significant differences were observed between water use and redistribution among cover crop treatments. A cover crop mixture of Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea and Trifolium repens developed high soil cover with low crop water requirement.