COVER CROPS in South African Vineyards

CHAPTER 3 COVER-CROP SELECTION

Based on years 2–4 of the long-term vineyard trial, the cover-crops for this region are ranked as follows: 1. Overberg oats 2. Black oats 3. Rye 4. Kelson snail medic 5. Faba bean 6. Paraggio bur medic 7. Grazing vetch. When including the results of the nematode-suppressive cover-crop trials, the cover-crops for this region are ranked as follows:

1. Overberg oats 2. Pallinup oats 3. Black oats 4. Rye 5. Kelson snail medic 6. Faba bean 7. White mustard 8. Paraggio bur medic

9. Caliente 199 10.Grazing vetch

11.Nemat 12.Canola.

If seed of the listed grasses is not available, Cederberg oats can be substituted for Pallinup or Overberg oats, as it is also a cultivar of Avena sativa , and it has the same growth habit and weed-suppressing ability as Overberg oats.Alter- natively, triticale can be substituted. In the vineyard trial, the subterranean clover did not perform as well as the other selected cover crops, so it should not be considered a suitable cover crop for the Coastal region. Each of the listed cover crops should be sowed as a monoculture in a particular year.They should rotate between a grass and a legume every two years. During the grass rotation, a broadleaf-specific herbicide can be used to control problem winter-growing broadleaf weeds.

64