Healthy Soils for Healthy Vines

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert White ◽  
Mark Krstic
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Small Individual ◽  
Fruit Composition ◽  
The Face ◽  
Biological Health ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Properties Of Soil

Healthy Soils for Healthy Vines provides a clear understanding of vineyard soils and how to manage and improve soil health for best vineyard performance. It covers the inherent and dynamic properties of soil health, how to choose which soil properties to monitor, how to monitor soil and vine performance, and how vineyard management practices affect soil health, fruit composition and wine sensory characters. It also covers the basic tenets of sustainable winegrowing and their significance for business resilience in the face of a changing climate. This book will be of practical value to anyone growing grapevines, managing a vineyard or making wine, from the small individual grower to the large wine company employee. It will be of special interest to winegrowers employing organic, natural or biodynamic methods of production, where the primary focus is on the biological health of the soil.

scholarly journals Groundcover Mulching in Mediterranean Vineyards Improves Soil Chemical, Physical and Biological Health Already in the Short Term

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 787
Author(s):  
Dylan Warren Raffa ◽  
Daniele Antichi ◽  
Stefano Carlesi ◽  
Christian Frasconi ◽  
Simone Marini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Wine Production ◽  
Spontaneous Vegetation ◽  
Structure Index ◽  
Biological Health

Vineyards are among the land uses with the highest soil degradation rate in Mediterranean Europe, mainly due to intensive tillage management. Therefore, practices able to foster soil health are critical to promote sustainable wine production. We studied the following treatments in two organic farms in Chianti Classico (Italy): conventional tillage, spontaneous vegetation, pigeon bean (Vicia faba var. minor) incorporated in spring and a mixture of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and squarrosum clover (Trifolium squarrosum), both incorporated and left as mulch. An innovative approach, based on gamma-ray and apparent electrical conductivity, was used to account for the fine-scale soil variability that was included in the statistical model. Mulched groundcovers were associated with higher soil organic matter compared to tillage, already after two years. An increased N availability was found under all groundcovers compared with tillage. The effect of soil management practices on P2O5 strongly varied across farms and years, while it was not statistically significant on K availability. Spontaneous vegetation positively influenced the soil structure index, soil penetration resistance and soil biological health. The results show that mulched groundcovers can improve soil health already in the short term, thereby potentially increasing the sustainability of the wine sector.

scholarly journals Putting numbers to a metaphor: Soil Quality, Health or Fitness?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Whitmore ◽  
Kirsty Hassall ◽  
Alice Milne ◽  
Arthur Dailey ◽  
Margaret Glendining ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Bayesian Belief Networks ◽  
Expert Elicitation ◽  
Fitness For Purpose ◽  
General Applicability ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Properties Of Soil

Abstract Soil Quality or Soil Health are terms adopted by the scientific community as a metaphor for the effects of differing land management practices on the properties and functions of soil. Many other terms and metaphors are in use that defy neat quantification: human health, for example. Our challenge is to understand the importance of using such metaphors, but without compromising the underlying scientific understanding upon which they are based. We present here an approach based on expert elicitation in the field of soil quality and management, which offers a universal way of putting numbers to the metaphor. Like humans, soils differ and so do the ways in which they become unhealthy. We structure experts’ views of the extent to which soil delivers the functions expected of it within Bayesian Belief Networks anchored by measurable properties of soil. With these networks, we deduce the value of additional data to the precision of estimates of soil quality and health and infer the likely state of soil at locations in England & Wales. We conclude that the value of soil is best scored as its fitness for purpose or its utility. Our methodology has general applicability and could be deployed elsewhere or in other disciplines.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Humic Fertilizers Applied at Full and Reduced Nitrogen Rates on Kentucky Bluegrass Quality and Soil Health

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 395
Author(s):  
Alex J. Lindsey ◽  
Adam W. Thoms ◽  
Marshall D. McDaniel ◽  
Nick E. Christians
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Humic Substances ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Turfgrass Quality ◽  
N Rates ◽  
Fertilizer Rates

Soil health and sustainable management practices have garnered much interest within the turfgrass industry. Among the many practices that enhance soil health and sustainability are applying soil additives to enhance soil biological activity and reducing nitrogen (N) inputs—complimentary practices. A two-year study was conducted to investigate if reduced N fertilizer rates applied with humic substances could provide comparable turfgrass quality as full N rates, and whether humic fertilizers would increase biological aspects of soil health (i.e., microbial biomass and activity). Treatments included synthetic fertilizer with black gypsum (SFBG), poly-coated humic-coated urea (PCHCU; two rates), urea + humic dispersing granules (HDG; two rates), urea, stabilized nitrogen, HDG, and a nontreated control. Reduced rates of N with humic substances maintained turfgrass quality and cover, and reduced clipping biomass compared to full N rates. There were no differences in soil physical and chemical properties besides soil sulfur (S) concentration. SFBG resulted in the highest soil S concentration. Fertilizer treatments had minimal effect on microbial biomass and other plant-available nutrients. However, PCHCU (full rate) increased potentially mineralizable carbon (PMC) and N (PMN) by 68% and 59%, respectively, compared to the nontreated control. Meanwhile SFBG and stabilized nitrogen also increased PMC and PMN by 77% and 50%, and 65% and 59%, respectively. Overall, applications of reduced N fertilizer rates with the addition of humic substances could be incorporated into a more sustainable and environmentally friendly turfgrass fertilizer program.

Impacts of switching tillage to no-tillage and vice versa on soil structure, enzyme activities, and prokaryotic community profiles in Argentinean semi-arid soils

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
L A Gabbarini ◽  
E Figuerola ◽  
J P Frene ◽  
N B Robledo ◽  
F M Ibarbalz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Soil Structure ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Prokaryotic Community ◽  
C Cycle

Abstract The effects of tillage on soil structure, physiology, and microbiota structure were studied in a long-term field experiment, with side-to-side plots, established to compare effects of conventional tillage (CT) vs. no-till (NT) agriculture. After 27 years, part of the field under CT was switched to NT and vice versa. Soil texture, soil enzymatic profiles, and the prokaryotic community structure (16S rRNA genes amplicon sequencing) were analysed at two soil depths (0–5, 5–10 cm) in samples taken 6, 18, and 30 months after switching tillage practices. Soil enzymatic activities were higher in NT than CT, and enzymatic profiles responded to the changes much earlier than the overall prokaryotic community structure. Beta diversity measurements of the prokaryotic community indicated that the levels of stratification observed in long-term NT soils were already recovered in the new NT soils thirty months after switching from CT to NT. Bacteria and Archaea OTUs, which responded to NT were associated with coarse soil fraction, SOC and C cycle enzymes while CT responders were related to fine soil fractions and S cycle enzymes. This study showed the potential of managing the soil prokaryotic community and soil health through changes in agricultural management practices.

scholarly journals Soil Health and Related Ecosystem Services in Organic Agriculture

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynette K. Abbott ◽  
David A. C. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Microbial Transformation ◽  
Nutrient Release ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Soil ◽  
Detailed Examination ◽  
Chemical Processes ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus

<p>Soil health is dependent upon complex bio-physical and bio-chemical processes which interact in space and time. Microrganisms and fauna in soil comprise highly diverse and dynamic communities that contribute, over either short or long time frames, to the transformation of geological minerals and release of essential nutrients for plant growth. Certified organic soil management practices generally restrict the use of chemically-processed highly soluble plant nutrients, leading to dependence on nutrient sources that require microbial transformation of poorly soluble geological minerals. Consequently, slow release of nutrients controls their rate of uptake by plants and associated plant physiological processes. Microbial and faunal interactions influence soil structure at various scales, within and between crystalline mineral grains, creating complex soil pore networks that further influence soil function, including the nutrient release and uptake by roots. The incorporation of organic matter into soil, as either manure or compost in organic farming systems is controlled to avoid excessive release of soluble nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, while simultaneously contributing an essential source of carbon for growth and activity of soil organisms. The interdependence of many soil physical and chemical processes contributing to soil health is strongly linked to activities of the organisms living in soil as well as to root structure and function. Capitalizing on these contributions to soil health cannot be achieved without holistic, multiscale approaches to nutrient management, an understanding of interactions between carbon pools, mineral complexes and soil mineralogy, and detailed examination of farm nutrient budgets.</p>

scholarly journals The significance of scion × rootstock interactions

OENO One ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Clingeleffer ◽  
Norma Morales ◽  
Hilary Davis ◽  
Harley Smith
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Growth Characteristics ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Cabernet Sauvignon ◽  
Wine Quality ◽  
Fruit Composition ◽  
Berry Weight ◽  
Index Value

Aims: Rootstocks provide protection against soil-borne pests and are a powerful tool to manipulate growth, fruit composition and wine-quality attributes. The present study aimed to assess the consistency of rootstock effects on the growth and fruit composition of scion varieties and identify scion × rootstock interactions.Methods and results: Vine performance and fruit composition of hot-climate, drip-irrigated, spur-pruned Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, grafted on seven rootstocks, was assessed over five seasons from 2013 to 2017. Rootstocks included Ramsey, 1103 Paulsen and 140 Ruggeri and four promising selections from the CSIRO rootstock development programme. Vines were trained as quadrilateral cordons on a two-wire vertical trellis of height 1.8 m and 3.0 m row × 1.8 m vine spacing, and irrigated with 5.5–6.0 ML/ha of water each season. The study was conducted with mature vines, established in 2006, as a randomised block design with five replicates. There were significant effects of both variety and rootstock on yield, number of bunches, bunch weight, berry weight (scion only), berries per bunch, pruning weight and the Ravaz Index (yield/pruning weight). Despite identical management practices, there were large differences between scion varieties in key growth characteristics across rootstocks. Chardonnay produced a high yield (mean 25.2 kg/vine) with low pruning weight (2.3 kg/vine) and a high mean Ravaz Index value of 12.1. Shiraz had the highest yield (27.4 kg/vine) with high pruning weight (5.1 kg/vine) and a Ravaz Index of 6.3. Cabernet Sauvignon had the lowest yield (15.9 kg/vine) and highest pruning weight (6.6 kg/vine) and a very low Ravaz Index value of 3.0. Effects of rootstock on growth characteristics were smaller than the effects of variety, with mean yields ranging from 19.5 to 25.9 kg/vine, pruning weights ranging from 3.24 to 6.13 kg/vine and mean Ravaz Index values ranging from 5.54 to 8.63. Each variety was harvested when the mean total soluble solids reached 25.0 °Brix. Significant effects of variety and rootstock on fruit composition, included pH, titratable acidity (scion only), malate, tartrate (scion only), yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN); and for the red varieties, total anthocyanins (scion only) and phenolic substances (scion only). Significant interactions between scion variety and rootstocks were found for yield, number of bunches, berry weight, pruning weight and Ravaz Index. The effect of rootstock on bunch weight and berries per bunch was consistent across scions. Significant scion × rootstock interactions were also found for pH and YAN. For each variety, significant effects of rootstock on fruit composition were linked to growth characteristics. However, these relationships, based on correlation analyses, varied for each scion.Conclusions: The study has shown that growth characteristics and fruit composition of the major varieties was not consistent across seven rootstock genotypes, as significant scion × rootstock interactions were determined. Hence, different rootstocks may be required for each variety to optimise scion performance and fruit composition. The study has also shown that the new CSIRO rootstock selections, covering a range of vigour classifications, may be useful alternatives to those currently in use by industry.Significance and impact of the study: The study has shown that the performance of scion varieties, and to a lesser degree the fruit composition, is dependent on rootstock choice. The inherent vigour of the scion variety must be considered in rootstock selection. Furthermore, individual scion/rootstock combinations may require specific irrigation, pruning or canopy management to achieve vine balance and optimise fruit and wine composition.

scholarly journals Effect of three different agronomic conditions on biochemical profile and diversity in the rhizosphere of banana plantations infected with Fusarium oxysporum Race 1

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Sánchez-Zúñiga ◽  
◽  
Ana Tapia-Fernández ◽  
William Eduardo Rivera-Méndez ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
Fertility Level ◽  
Biochemical Profile ◽  
Agronomic Conditions

Soil microorganisms play an important role as a link in the transfer of nutrients from the rhizosphere. The physical and chemical properties of soil, the metabolic profiles of microbial communities and different crop management practices can enhance our understanding of hizospheric interactions. This study aimed to establish differences in microbial communities associated with banana crops and the biochemical profile in farms under different agronomic conditions. Seven farms with different levels of intervention, management, and fusariosis severity were analyzed. The biochemical profile of the microbial community was determined using EcoPlates and the main substrates consumed by the microbial communities were identified through multivariate principal component analysis (PCA). Seven microorganisms were selected as indicators of nutrient cycles, pathogenicity and soil health. Also, soil chemical indicators were determined through a complete mineral analysis. For the physiological profile of soil microbial populations, it was observed that farms with the same management tend to be metabolically very similar. In the PCA, two principal components explained 90 % of the variance in the data. It was also determined that the genus Bacillus is predominant in all farms and that farm 4 (medium intervention) presented the most favorable values in all factors analyzed. The effective cation exchange capacity values are highlighted in the chemical analyses, which determined that all farms have a high fertility level. The metabolic profile, diversity and richness of each of the different farms were affected by the type of agronomic management used.

scholarly journals Identifying Sustainable Nitrogen Management Practices for Tea Plantations

Nitrogen ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-57
Author(s):  
Rhys Rebello ◽  
Paul J. Burgess ◽  
Nicholas T. Girkin
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
High Yields ◽  
N Management

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. It is mostly grown in the tropics with a heavy dependence on mineral nitrogen (N) fertilisers to maintain high yields while minimising the areas under cultivation. However, N is often applied in excess of crop requirements, resulting in substantial adverse environmental impacts. We conducted a systematic literature review, synthesising the findings from 48 studies to assess the impacts of excessive N application on soil health, and identify sustainable, alternative forms of N management. High N applications lead to soil acidification, N leaching to surface and groundwater, and the emission of greenhouse gases including nitrous oxide (N2O). We identified a range of alternative N management practices, the use of organic fertilisers, a mixture of organic and inorganic fertilisers, controlled release fertilisers, nitrification inhibitors and soil amendments including biochar. While many practices result in reduced N loading or mitigate some adverse impacts, major trade-offs include lower yields, and in some instances increased N2O emissions. Practices are also frequently trialled in isolation, meaning there may be a missed opportunity from assessing synergistic effects. Moreover, adoption rates of alternatives are low due to a lack of knowledge amongst farmers, and/or financial barriers. The use of site-specific management practices which incorporate local factors (for example climate, tea variety, irrigation requirements, site slope, and fertiliser type) are therefore recommended to improve sustainable N management practices in the long term.

scholarly journals Semi-Automated Procedure to Estimate Nonlinear Kinematic Hardening Model to Simulate the Nonlinear Dynamic Properties of Soil and Rock

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 8611
Author(s):  
Van-Linh Ngo ◽  
Changho Lee ◽  
Eun-haeng Lee ◽  
Jae-Min Kim
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Kinematic Hardening ◽  
Back Stress ◽  
Good Match ◽  
Nonlinear Properties ◽  
Backbone Curves ◽  
Nonlinear Dynamic Properties ◽  
Strain Dependent ◽  
Fitting Parameters ◽  
Properties Of Soil

The strain-dependent nonlinear properties of ground materials, such as shear modulus degradation (G/Gmax) and damping, are of significant importance in seismic-related analyses. However, the ABAQUS program lacks a comprehensive procedure to estimate parameters for a built-in model. In this study, a nonlinear kinematic hardening (NKH) model with three back-stress values was used, which allows better fitting to the backbone curves compared to the simplified nonlinear kinematic hardening (SNKH) model previously proposed. Instead of modeling in ABAQUS, a semi-automated procedure was implemented in MATLAB, which can predict shear stress–shear strain hysteretic loops, to find the fitting parameters to the target G/Gmax and/or damping curves. The procedure was applied for three soil and two rock samples, and the results indicate a good match between model and target backbone curves, which proves the application of the procedure and the NKH model in simulating the nonlinear properties of ground materials.

scholarly journals RECORDS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN GHANAIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS: A CASE STUDY OF GHANA TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 461-472
Author(s):  
S. Ameyaw ◽  
A. Frempong-Kore
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Student Records ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
University College ◽  
Data Collection Instrument ◽  
The Face ◽  
Admission Office ◽  
The University

This study was conducted to ascertain records management practices at the Ghana Communications Technology University (formerly Ghana Technology University College) a mid-sized Ghanaian public university located in Accra. All the staff at the Admissions and Records departments participated in the study. This comprised two (2) heads of department and seven (7) senior staff from both departments. The face-to-face interviews were employed as a data collection instrument for this study. The findings indicated that the University has neither a policy to regulate the management of students' records nor a professional archivist to manage records. However, the head of the Records office was given a three-day training on the assumption of office. It was revealed that the head of admissions, as well as all the staff of the two departments, had never been given any training. There were some challenges impeding records management in the Admissions and Records offices– among them are; lack of adequate staff, inadequate storage equipment, lack of periodic training, lack of policy to guide records management and inability of students to furnish the Admission office with the needed information. It was recommended that the University should employ a professional archivist to manage student records, provide adequate storage facilities, organise periodic training for staff as well promulgate a policy to guide records management in the Admissions and Records offices. Keywords: Accra Campus, Records, Management, Practices, Ghana Communication Technology University

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document