Cool Climate Viticulture and Enology Conference

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Cool Climate Viticulture and Enology Conference
Rob Kline Regional Agrologist Regional
Operations Sustainable Agriculture Management
Branch Rob.Kline_at_gov.bc.ca

• Wayne Haddow
• Regional Agrologist
• Regional Operations
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Management Branch
• Wayne.Haddow_at_gov.bc.ca

Wine Island Growers Association Saanichton
B.C. May 02, 2009
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Vineyard Soil Management

• Vancouver Island Soil Types Management
• Soil Conservation
• Cover Crop Management

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Glacial Marine Soil Heritage Source Yorath,
C Kung, R Franklin, R. 2002  Geoscape
Victoria Geological Survey of Canada,
Miscellaneous Report No. 74. Retrieved April 09,
2009 from http//geoscape.nrcan.gc.ca/victoria/ice
_e.php
Soil Materials Glacial till soils mixed
textures Beach/Alluvial soils medium to coarse
textures Marine Clay soils medium to fine
textures
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Major Soil Groups of Southern BC

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Vancouver Island Soil Surveys
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Soil Characteristics

• Organic Matter
• Texture
• sand/silt/clay
• Soil Structure
• soil aggregates
• restricting layers - hardpans
• Water Infiltration/Retention/Drainage
• Chemical
• pH acidic/basic
• nutrients

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Vineyard Soil Characteristics

• Internal water drainage provides a steady,
  moderate supply of water gt 50 mm per hour
• Organic matter contributes porosity, structure,
  nutrients and moisture retention desired range
  for vineyard soils is 2 to 3 of organic matter
• Soil texture affects the water-holding capacity
  of the soils and internal water drainage. Ideal
  textures for vines are loam, sandy loam or sandy
  clay loam textures.
• Soil structure and texture permits deep and
  spreading root growth gt 1 meter
• Soil pH values between 6.0 and 6.8 provide the
  optimum availability of nutrients in vineyard
  soils

Friendly ------------? Hostile
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Italian Rye
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Ideal Range for Vineyard Soil Properties

• pH 6.0-7.0
• Exchangeable Na lt 7.0
• Exchangeable Ca 65-75
• Exchangeable K 3 - 10
• Bray P mg/kg gt20
• Topsoil Organic Matter 3-6
• Total N 0.1-0.20
• Density g/cc lt 1.4 in the surface
• Minimum free rooting soil depth gt 50 cm
  preferably 100 cm

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Planning Before Planting Management Techniques
Planning and data collection Soil Surveys and
Maps soil investigations with excavations to 2
meters Drainage Mgt - Slopes and tile
drainage Hardpan Subsoiling/Deep
Ripping Timing and Depths Soil Acidity Liming
Acidity Mgt Poor soil structure/high clay
contents Avoid
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Landscape, Soil Profile, Chemical and Physical
Characteristics from Survey Reports and Maps
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Soil management issues for vineyard developments
on the Islands

• Low pH in lower soil depths
• Dense sub-soils due to glacial compaction or
  cemented hardpans
• Poor structure in high clay marine soils
• Seepage areas on hillsides

 
 
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Before and after soil management
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Ground limestone particle size
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Soil acidity

• Avoid soils with acid sub-soils
• Lime Application and deep incorporation before
  planting
• Periodic top dressing incorporation
• Lime slotting/deep ripping incorporation

• Experimental lime slotter in Australia

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Cover Crop Functions and Management

• promotes soil flora and fauna
• improves soil structure with OM
• increase soil moisture storage capacity,
• enhances trafficability in wet weather,
• suppresses invasive vegetation,
• reduces soil erosion,
• reduces nutrient losses and leaching,
• reduces disease potential from rainsplash
• greenhouse gas release reduction with less
  tillage equipment operation
• can add nitrogen (clovers),

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Deep ripping
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Self propelled drainage plow
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Large Pull-type
Large Pull-type with walking beam.
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Good practice

• Tillage right equipment at right time when soil
  is friable, maintain surface litter
• Compaction, minimize surface to deep, timing of
  all equipment traffic e.g. Liming
• Organic Matter
• Cover crops - for winter or following site
  preparation

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Cover Crops

• Fall Rye, winter wheat
• Winter rape, mustard,
• Wheat, barley, oats
• Italian Rye
• Tall fescue (forage or turf)

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Vineyard soil management

• Soil erosion and water runoff management
• 1. Run vines along contours
• not downslope
• Reduces soil erosion and improves infiltration
• 2. Drain tile lines should not have
• gradients greater than 5-6
• Reduces sub-soil erosion
• 3. Use in-row cover crops -
• Reduces and controls erosion from
• winter rains reduces sediments
• reaching water courses

View from Volastra, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
- 2007