Soil Management Practices in Vineyard Agroecosystems
Summary
Vineyard soils underpin the productivity, quality and sustainability of viticultural systems worldwide. Soil management practices aim to conserve physical structure, maintain fertility and support biodiversity while mitigating erosion and greenhouse-gas emissions. Key approaches include minimising soil disturbance through no-tillage systems, introducing cover crops between vine rows and applying organic amendments such as composts, green manures and rock-based residues. These strategies enhance soil organic matter, regulate water infiltration and nutrient cycling and foster beneficial microbial communities. Integrative schemes that combine mechanical, biological and mineral inputs enable growers to adapt to diverse climatic, edaphic and topographic conditions. Emerging trends emphasise the valorisation of by-products—such as winery waste, spent mushroom substrate or zeolite composites—to close resource loops and bolster resilience under shifting environmental constraints.
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Soil Management Practices in Vineyard Agroecosystems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in soil management practices in vineyard agroecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Soil organic matter (SOM): decomposed plant and animal residues within soil, vital for structure, nutrient retention and water-holding capacity.
Cover crop: non-cash plants sown between vine rows to protect soil, suppress erosion, fix nitrogen and enhance biodiversity.
No-tillage: a practice of planting without prior soil inversion, preserving aggregate stability and moisture.
Organic amendment: incorporation of organic materials (e.g. compost, spent substrates) to improve soil fertility and structure.
Microbial biomass: living component of soil organic matter, including bacteria and fungi responsible for nutrient cycling.
Zeolite: a microporous aluminosilicate mineral used as a soil conditioner to enhance nutrient exchange and water retention.
References
- Changes in vineyard soil parameters after repeated application of organic-inorganic amendments based on spent mushroom substrate. Environmental Research (2023).
- Compost application boosts soil restoration in highly disturbed hillslope vineyard. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
- Zeolite and Winery Waste as Innovative By-Product for Vineyard Soil Management. Environments (2024).
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