Replacing soil sterilant practices with low, permanent ground covers in Northeast vineyards

• 2006 annual report

Commodities

• Fruits: grapes
• Additional Plants: native plants

Practices

• Crop Production: application rate management
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, feasibility study, agricultural finance
• Natural Resources/Environment: soil stabilization
• Pest Management: row covers (for pests)
• Soil Management: soil quality/health

Pre-emergent herbicides are often used beneath vineyard rows to control weeds and the resulting competition. Yet resistance is growing to the use of pre-emergent herbicides, and some growers now rely solely on contact herbicides. This project will investigate the horticultural and economic effects of planting two species of ground cover in vineyard rows, leaving no bare ground prone to erosion and reducing the need for under-the-row herbicide use and between-the-row mowing. Outreach will be through newsletters, magazines, and a field day.