Expanding the Adoption of Under-Trellis Cultivators in Vineyards to Reduce Herbicide Input

View the project final report

Commodities

• Fruits: grapes

Practices

• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, mentoring, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, workshop
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, feasibility study
• Pest Management: cultivation, weed management
• Production Systems: organic agriculture
• Soil Management: soil moisture

Vineyard floor management relies on herbicides, especially glyphosate. This practice,
once deemed sustainable and safe, is now jeopardized by glyphosate-resistant weeds and has
come under public scrutiny. Mechanical under-vine cultivators are an option available to grape
growers; many types of equipment are commercially available. However, its adoption lags
behind the more familiar herbicide use. Under-vine cultivators' performance, costs and applications have not been
well-researched. Limited information on reliable providers further hinders adoption of undervine
cultivators. This project proposes:

1. to conduct on-farm trials to evaluate different undervine
   cultivators types alone or in combinations as compared to herbicide application;
2. with grower-collaborator participation, to compare the economics of under-vine cultivation to
   herbicide application and record operational information to estimate reliability, operation
   capacity, and scheduling of cultivation operation during the growing season;
3. to compile a list of all equipment commercially available and a list of vendors located in the Western
   Region, and to document growers’ perceptions and experiences with under-vine cultivators. This
   will allow us to generate specific information about operational costs, performance, the window
   of operation, applications, and limitations.

1. Evaluate the weed control performance of three under-vine cultivators (hoe blade,
   rotary tiller, and rotary brush) used alone or in combination. Monitor undesirable trends in soil structure
   using field penetrometer and soil-water content using a portable soil moisture sensor.
2. Compare under-vine cultivation equipment to herbicide application and record
   operational information to estimate reliability, operation capacity, and scheduling of
   cultivation operation during the growing season. Grower-collaborators will be actively
   engaged in this objective, and their input will become the basis for the emphases of
   outreach events and materials.
3. Compile a list of cultivators available in the market with estimated costs, operational
   capacity, tractor requirement, applications and limitations and develop extension
   materials and presentations to promote adoption of this technology.