Soil Amendments and Cover Crops in Wine Grape Production

Abstract

In 2011 and 2012, a study was conducted to evaluate the use of selected soil amendments (SA) and cover crops (CC) in Nova Scotia (NS) wine grape production to reduce synthetic fertilizer inputs, enhance soil quality and improve grape yield and quality. In 2011, increases in particulate organic matter nitrogen, carbon, and 205nm NaHCO3-- extractable nitrogen were attributed to CC establishment. In 2011, treatments with CC increased grape yield and cluster weight. Differences in selected soil nutrient concentrations, pH and whole leaf and petiole nitrogen were found between SA treatments in 2012. Interactions between SA, CC and year of amendment application led to significant differences in the number of clusters per vine and average of cluster weight per vine in 2012. Soil amendment treatments provided comparable results to synthetic fertilizers while some also enhanced soil quality. Cover crops typically increased yield and soil quality compared with bare soil treatments.