By: Alyssa Ochs
As interest in sustainability continues to grow in the wine industry, an increasing number of vineyard owners have become curious about transitioning their operations toward more organic, biodynamic and regenerative agriculture practices. Meanwhile, professionals looking to establish new vineyards or alter certain aspects of their techniques may be interested to learn about the benefits and challenges of taking this kind of approach to increase the vitality of their land and promote the natural health of grapevines.
It’s important to understand what the use of biologicals and organics means in a vineyard setting and new innovations that are making this approach feasible for vineyards of all types and sizes. Fortunately, there are experienced companies and consultants available to guide vineyards through this process to achieve greater long-term sustainability.
Understanding Organic-Biological Viticulture
There are a lot of different terms used loosely to describe sustainable and environmentally friendly viticulture. These terms are commonly misunderstood and misconstrued, overshadowing the overarching goal of being as gentle on nature as possible during the grape-growing process. “Biological” refers to the science of living organisms and applying natural sciences to certain structures and processes. “Ecological” is the study of living beings within their environment and is commonly used to describe environmental protection. “Biodynamics,” as it relates to vineyards, involves using natural means and taking cues from nature for growing practices, such as star constellations and phases of the moon. “Biodynamic viticulture” typically means only using organic fertilizers and applying the principles of Austrian anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner to view all aspects of the vineyard as whole entity with a holistic approach. The purpose “organic viticulture” is to eliminate manmade chemicals and additives from the winemaking process. However, the legal definition of what qualifies as “organic wine” varies from one country to another.
Ultimately, there are various types of products, treatments and strategies that fall under the umbrella of biologicals and organics for winemaking.
For example, BioSafe Systems provides sustainable products that improve quality and are safe on the environment. Taylor Vadon, technical sales representative for BioSafe, told The Grapevine Magazine that botrytis, powdery and downy mildew are some of the most economically concerning pathogens to treat in grapes because they affect quality and visual appeal. BioSafe Systems’ two most effective organic fungicides are OxiDate5.0 and PerCarb to kill and suppress a broad spectrum of fungal and bacterial pathogens, even ones that may have developed resistance to other fungicides.
“OxiDate5.0 is a liquid that utilizes peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen to oxidize the outer cell membrane of vegetative bacterial and fungal cells, endospores, making it an effective all microorganisms,” Vadon said. “PerCarb is a water-soluble granular that when put into solution releases 27 percent hydrogen peroxide by weight to oxidize organisms like OxiDate 5.0 but is much more alkaline and leaves a five-to-seven-day residual to inhibit growth. Both OxiDate 5.0 and PerCarb leave no lasting effects on the environment and allow workers to return to the vineyard after sprays have dried, increasing productivity.”
Meanwhile, Acadian Plant Health is a division of Acadian Seaplants Limited and world leader in biostimulant solutions that are sustainably sourced and scientifically proven to increase crop survivability, yield and quality. The company’s products are used in soil and foliar inputs on over 70 crops in more than 80 countries worldwide
Holly Little, PhD, the director of research and development for Acadian, told The Grapevine Magazine that her company has seen had many grape-growers gravitate to Acadian® Organic and Stella Maris® Organic products, which offer all the benefits of the conventional product with organic certification and enhanced compatibility with other inputs.
“Some of the key benefits for sustainable growers are improvements in plant health, including improved root growth and nutrient uptake, as well as abiotic stress tolerance,” Little said. “There are also additional benefits with improved bunch elongation, which helps with airflow within the bunch, which helps limit the environment that diseases like to grow in.”
Little also said that there are some really interesting things occurring with soil health and soil microbes with regard to sustainability.
“We’ve found that the use of Acadian seaweed extracts stimulates the beneficial microbial populations,” she said. “This is a really unique response. Many times, people advocate adding soil microbes, but often the soil environment isn’t right for what you add, so it is only a temporary benefit. By altering the natural populations, we believe that this can be a more long-term and sustainable option.”
Benefits of a Biological/Organic Approach
Now, perhaps more than ever before, it is a good idea for vineyards to start recognizing the importance of biological and organic approaches in their operations and being open to the potential benefits offered.
Natalie Winkler from Traditional & Biodynamic Vineyard Consulting told The Grapevine Magazine that conventional farming through the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and insecticides kills life in the soil. This can result in deep compaction and loss of structure in topsoil, water runoff, erosion and the loss of farmable land. This consulting company specializes in the conversion and establishment of vineyards to organic, biodynamic and regenerative farming systems, with services ranging from “a la carte” to all-inclusive for each vineyard’s unique needs.
“Simply put, conventional farming is not sustainable because it degrades the soil continuously,” Winkler said. “In opposition, organic and especially biodynamic methods regenerate the soil by increasing microbial life, therefore organic matter, water retention capacity and vine nutrient uptake. Organic, regenerative and biodynamic farming allow us to grow a premium crop every year, while replenishing the soil so it can continue to produce for generations to come.”
Little from Acadian said that newer and non-traditional products can address the many grape-growing challenges become more numerous every year, such as improving plant and soil health and also aiding in the long-term sustainability of the vineyard.
“Acadian Plant Health’s products are a good fit for grape-growers looking for a more organic/sustainable management program or conventional program,” Little said. “They offer a range of benefits with one product, and application programs that can be tailored to achieve different objectives in a vineyard, making it easily adaptable to different growing styles and environments. The healthier plants are less susceptible to stress, including disease, and are more productive.”
Vadon from BioSafe pointed out that even if a vineyard defines itself as “conventional,” organic products may still be best fit for certain applications.
“In many cases, it has been documented that botrytis, powdery and downy mildews are developing resistance to certain FRAC groups,” Vadon said. “Fungicide resistance management starts with rotating fungicides with different FRAC groups, but in some cases, that is not enough. Using an organic broad spectrum contact fungicide mixed with a conventional fungicide that has the potential to develop resistance, strengthens spray programs by killing resistant and nonresistant organisms, thus reducing the chance for further mutational resistance to develop.”
Challenges of Sustainability in the Vineyard
However, many vineyard owners are concerned about whether sustainability measures will require more ongoing maintenance and upkeep, if they will be more time-consuming and whether the payoff will really be worth it in the end.
Winkler from Traditional & Biodynamic Vineyard Consulting said that the biggest challenges in transitioning vineyards to organic, regenerative and biodynamic farming are bringing life back into the soil and subsoil and promoting vine roots to grow deeper to access nutrients and water.
“The transition period can be stressful on vines because conventional vineyards are often addicted to synthetic fertilizers,” Winkler said. “Weening plants off of fertilizers takes time. The vines must be reeducated into becoming more independent.”
Winkler said that establishing an organic and biodynamic vineyard from scratch is much easier because getting started in this way from the beginning allows the vines to thrive in their environment because they are adapted to this natural way of farming.
Vadon from BioSafe said, “Many organic pesticides require more frequent applications to stay ahead of common pests found in the vineyards. If a vineyard has high mildew pressure and has not been sprayed for an extended period, some organic fungicides might not be able to manage to an acceptable level where others could.”
Vadon also said that knowing a product’s strength, such as being broad spectrum, and limitations, such as no residuals, is important for knowing how it fits into your vineyard’s program.
Little from Acadian pointed out that there are so many products on the market now that make a lot of different claims, so it is nearly impossible to differentiate between products that are effective or not. To address this issue, she recommends looking for data from real and replicated research, peer-reviewed science and on-farm demonstrations.
“Consistency of biological products can be another challenge,” said Little. “Natural products have an inherent variability, and not all manufacturing methods account for this. Ideally, a manufacturer can show consistency in physical characteristics and bioefficacy over manufacturing times and years. Acadian® Organic and Stella Maris® Organic have been through rigorous quality assurance, and the consistency of our products is of the utmost importance to Acadian Plant Health™.”
Sustainability Tips and Advice for Vineyards
Experts in the fields of biodynamics, eco-friendly agriculture and organic viticulture have been devising new solutions to common challenges so that these approaches are more practical and profitable for vineyards. Meanwhile, the professionals we consulted about sustainable viticulture had many helpful ideas about how to choose the right solutions for a vineyard and additional ways to focus on responsible grape-growing.
For example, Winkler from Traditional & Biodynamic Vineyard Consulting said that farm machinery focused on weed management has developed significantly in recent years.
“One can now find a perfectly adapted implement to almost every vineyard’s soil,” Winkler said. “The combination of a uniquely adapted weed management plan and the introduction of animal grazing can help with timely weed control and increase organic matter. This allows vineyards to move away from herbicide use and build soil health.”
Vadon from BioSafe said that sustainability comes in many forms but that one of the most important ways to practice it in a vineyard is to rotate a pesticide’s mode of action or in the case of fungicides, FRAC groups.
“Fungicides have different ways they kill an organism, and continually using the same mode of action back-to-back greatly increases the chances for developing mutational resistance,” Vadon said. “Reducing the chances of mutational resistance developing is the key to keeping the fantastic products available to us in the grape world, viable for years to come.”
Little from Acadian said that some of the best advice comes from other growers, so learn about their successes and failures and then evaluate how to incorporate their best practices into your operation. She recommended reviewing different products with a critical eye and experimenting with new things while keeping track of what works and what doesn’t.
“We have a number of different application programs depending on what the key benefits someone is looking for,” Little said. “Soil applications throughout the season are beneficial in building soil microbial populations and with plant stress resistance. Soil applications during natural root flush times will increase root growth leading to enhanced nutrient and water uptake. Foliar applications will help improve stress resistance, but also increase bunch length early season and help with uniformity of growth. When it makes sense for the grower, I recommend a combination of foliar and soil applications of Acadian Organic® or Stella Maris® Organic to gain the most benefits.”
