Examining outcomes of soil health management practices in vineyards

Commodities

• Fruits: grapes

Practices

• Crop Production: alley cropping, conservation tillage, cover crops, no-till, organic fertilizers, water management, water storage
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, networking, on-farm/ranch research, workshop
• Natural Resources/Environment: carbon sequestration, indicators, soil stabilization
• Production Systems: agroecosystems, integrated crop and livestock systems, organic agriculture
• Soil Management: organic matter, soil analysis, soil physics, soil quality/health

Wine grapes are one of California’s most valuable crops, with their current production area totaling 615,000 acres and the wine industry overall generating an estimated $88 billion in annual economic activity in the state. However, wine grapes are also uniquely vulnerable to extreme heat and drought because there’s inherently less flexibility built into perennial systems: vineyards are typically productive and economically viable for decades at a time. As a result, potential adaptation strategies, such as planting less water-demanding varieties, aren’t options that wine grape producers can rely upon while they are still counting on economic returns from their current vineyard. Thus, the wine industry needs tools that will help it adapt in the short-term, and soil health management practices may provide a solution. There is evidence that soil health management practices provide benefits for adapting to weather extremes by improving water infiltration and retention, with the added benefit that they can also support natural resource stewardship by building soil organic carbon. However, uncertainties remain regarding the efficacy of these practices in achieving agronomic and conservation goals, especially in two contexts: 1. When the practices are used in combination with each other, rather than in isolation, and 2. In water-limited agricultural systems, like those of California, in which environmental and soil conditions may present barriers to adoption. We are therefore conducting a meta-analysis and field study that aim to address these gaps in knowledge by quantifying changes in soil physical properties and soil organic carbon across a gradient of soil health management practice adoption in California’s vineyards. Our corresponding outreach activities will support wine grape producers and industry professionals in sustaining their vineyards across the state.

Research Objectives

• Research Objective 1: Conduct a systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the effects of soil health management practices on a select suite of soil physical properties relevant to water movement and retention in water-challenged perennial agricultural systems.
• Research Objective 2: Examine how soil carbon and physical properties in vineyards change across a gradient of soil health management practice adoption.
  • Research Sub-objective 2.1: Appraise benefits of soil health practices by measuring total soil organic carbon and soil organic carbon fractions across all vineyard blocks.
  • Research Sub-objective 2.2: Examine how soil health management practices contribute to changes in soil structure, and how these changes in structure relate to soil organic carbon fractions.

Education Objectives

• Education Objective 1: Host a participatory workshop in June 2026 for wine grape producers, industry groups, and scientists on soil health and challenges facing California vineyards.
• Education Objective 2: Contribute to scientific discussions on soil health in vineyards through the publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations.