Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Fruits: grapes
Practices
- Crop Production: application rate management
- Education and Training: demonstration, extension, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research
- Pest Management: chemical control, competition, economic threshold, mulches - living, precision herbicide use
- Production Systems: holistic management
- Soil Management: green manures
Proposal abstract:
Control of vegetation in the strip under the trellis is a standard practice in the management of vineyards in the northeast. The goal is to minimize competition at key vine phenological stages. Excessive weed growth can impair fruit quality and quantity. Typically, weed control in this area is achieved through the use of herbicides. The infiltration of herbicides into groundwater has motivated growers to seek other less intrusive methods. Cultivation has gained favor though it has distinct disadvantages in a perennial cropping system. We propose to evaluate two less common methods of managing the area under the trellis, the use of minimally-competitive groundcovers and mowing of indigenous vegetation. We plan to establish research trials at three vineyards which will evaluate the feasibility of maintaining vegetation under the trellis in irrigated and non irrigated regimes. We intend to determine if either of these methods of vegetation management is detrimental to the yield or quality of the grapes.
Project objectives from proposal:
Under trellis mowing experiment
April 2006 - establish plots
June 2006 - petiole analysis
May - Aug 2006 - mowing and selective glyphosate treatments as per protocol & evaluation of type and quantity of weeds in each treatment
October 2006 - harvest and yield analysis
Living mulch trials
August 2006 - establish living mulch plots
Winter 2006 - dormant pruning weights
Spring 2007 - begin evaluations of groundcover establishment
Summer 2007 - petiole analysis and other growth analysis (grapes)
Fall 2007 - harvest and yield analysis
Winter 2007 - dormant pruning weights
Spring 2008 - evaluate ground cover establishment and weed suppression
Summer 2007 - petiole analysis and other growth analysis (grapes)
Fall 2008 - harvest and yield analysis
Winter 2008 - dormant pruning weights
Winter 2008-9 - complete data and final report