WINETECH Technical Yearbook 2021

PRACTICAL IN THE VINEYARD | APRIL 2021

eyard

Gen-Z – 2020 cover crop demos

Stand height: High Stand density: Good Weed suppression: Very good Bitter lupin growth was poor, likely due to deep sowing depth.

Triticale (AG Beantly), Bitter lupins (SSL10)

40 kg/ha R600/ha

2

OVER CROP DEMOS

EMMA CARKEEK: Vinpro, Paarl KEYWORDS: Cover crop mix performance, soil health. N-Z VINEYARD PROJECT HOSTED FOUR GROWER DEMO MATELY 70 PRODUCERS, VITICULTURISTS AND VINEYARD ECTION OF THE COVER CROP DEMOS THAT HAD AUTUMN OF 2020. THE AIM OF THE DEMOS WAS TO ATE THE PERFORMANCE OF A VARIETY OF MIXES AT HE WINE PRODUCING REGIONS.

Treatments 3 and 4 in this demo were slashed before images were captured.

Stand height: Very high Stand density: Very good Weed suppression: Very good Cereals performed excellently, while radish and white mustard growth was average.

Goudini mix with triticale Triticale (AG Beacon), Oats (Magnifico), Ripper radish (Groundhog),

IN OCTOBER 2020, the Gen-Z Vine- yard Project hosted four Grower Demo Days, enabling approximate- ly 70 producers, viticulturists and vineyard managers to view a selec- tion of the cover crop demos that had been established in the autumn of 2020. The aim of the demos was to demonstrate and evaluate the performance of a variety of mixes at selected sites across the wine producing regions. The correct choice of cover crop or mix and management thereof is site specific and requires some small- scale experimentation on the part of the grower. By exposing growers to a variety of cover crop mixtures on different soils, the Gen-Z Vineyard BY EMMA CARKEEK

Project hopes to assist with refined decision-making on the part of growers when implementing cover crops in their own vineyards. Whether sowing a mix or a single species, cover crops have potential to make a significant contribution to soil organic carbon in our vineyard ecosystems, the importance of which is well-documented. Seed for the four demos reported on below was supplied by Agricol, as were the cover crop mix recommen- dations per site. Each demo con- sisted of eight treatments (mixes), which were sown in a full vineyard row at the sowing rate recommen­ ded by Agricol. The correct choice of cover crop or mix and management thereof is site specific and requires some small-scale experimentation on the part of the grower. By exposing g owers to a variety of cover crop mixtures on different soils, the Gen-Z Vineyard Project hopes to assist with refined decision-making on the part of growers when implementing cover crops in their own vineyards. Whether sowing a mix or a single species, cover rops have potenti l to make a significant c ntribution to soil organic carbon in our vineyard ecosystems, the importance of which is well-documented. Seed for the four demos reported on below was supplied by Agricol, as were the cover crop mix recommendations per site. Each demo consisted of eight treatments (mixes), which were sown in a full vineyard row at the sowing rate recommended

30 kg/ha R594/ha

5

Japanese radish (Nooitgedacht), White mustard (Braco)

Goudini mix with barley Barley (SK9), Oats (Magnifico), Ripper radish (Groundhog),

Stand height: High Stand density: Good Weed suppression: Average Radish and white mustard growth was average to poor.

30 kg/ha R594/ha

6

Japanese radish (Nooitgedacht), White mustard (Braco)

A medic cover on the grapevine row of a vineyard in Stellenbosch after the second year of sowing, which will be left to self-seed and re-establish itself in the third year.

Stand height: High Stand density: Excellent

WINETECH TECHNICAL YEARBOOK 2021 | 125

a vineyard in Stellenbosch after the second year