Flexible Greening Management in Viticulture

In the vineyards with their sloping areas, greening is essential for protecting the soil from erosion. However, many winegrowers fear that in dry periods, the greening could become competitors for the vines for the little water and the crop and the quality of wine could suffer. A remedy is the flexible greening management. In order to be able to test this and put it into practice optimally, the research institute BioResearch Austria has started the project "Flexible Greening Management in Viticulture". The initiative came from two winegrowers in Poysdorf, supported by the president of the Austrian Viticulture Association, Abg. z. NR Johannes Schmuckenschlager and deputy of the provincial governess Dr. Stephan Pernkopf. The project is funded by the Lower Austrian Landscape Fund. The project aims to reduce the water stress of the grapevines through improved vegetation management that is flexibly adapted to the situation, so that the grape is best cared for and the quality of the wine is improved.

The project will carry out trials in vineyards to characterize the availability of soil water in relation to the water stress of the vines. After careful selection of the trial sites with the aid of soil maps, vineyard surveys and soil analyzes, a total of 150 soil moisture sensors, soil temperature sensors and two weather stations were installed this spring at the two test sites near Poysdorf. The first measurements are running. 

http://www.unserboden.at/files/wbnoe_folder.pdf