Soil Management for Grapes: Enhancing Production

1. Soil suitability and management for Grapes production Next End

2. Soil suitability and management for Grapes production Soil suitability for grapes: Grape, with a strong root system, can adapt to a wide range of soil from gravelly sands to clay loam and from shallow to deep with varying degree of success. The best suited soils are sandy loams that are well drained and fairly fertile with good amount of organic matter. Heavy clay and wet and low lying soils should be avoided. The grape is moderately tolerant to salinity and alkalinity. Excessive lime is harmful. Previous Next End

3. Soil suitability and management for Grapes production Vines tolerate moderate salt concentrations but presence of excess salts, especially sodium and free calcium is detrimental for growth. Electrical conductivity of soil extract should not be more than 4 mmhos/ cm and exchangeable sodium content should be less than 15% for successful viticulture. Free calcium concentration value exceeding 12% results in severe iron deficiency to vines. Previous Next End

4. Soil suitability and management for Grapes production High proline content in leaves is attributed to survival of vine under low to moderate salt stress conditions. Exogenous application of proline or cytokinins in initial stages of growth reduces damage by salt stress. A number of rootstocks are identified to impart salt resistance to commercial grape varieties. They include Degrasset, Dogridge, Salt Creek, ARG No.1 and Vitisriparia. Degrasset and Dogridge are tolerant up to 6.8 and 6.5 dSm-1 under sodium salinity respectively Previous Next End

5. Soil suitability and management for Grapes production Soil moisture content has influence on yield and quality of grapes. Moisture stress during first three weeks after anthesis has direct adverse effect on berry set and size, resulting in poor yield. Delayed maturity, poor colour development and reduced berry size are results of soil moisture stress during berry development period. Selective use of rootstocks contributes to successful cultivation in moisture stress soils. Previous Next End

6. Soil suitability and management for Grapes production Methods of soil management practices 1. Clean culture Involves regular ploughing and removal of weeds. Cultivation should be minimized by avoiding deep and frequent cultivation and also cultivation when the soil is too wet. To avoid loss of humus, nitrogen, soil erosion, formation of hard pan etc., Previous Next End

7. Soil suitability and management for grapes production 2. Clean culture with cover crops Involves raising of a cover crop or green manure after removing the weeds. Green manure crops like Sunhemp, Cowpea, Daincha, Lupins etc. are more commonly used. 3. Mulching Crop residues like straw, cotton stalks, leaves, saw dust, pine needles, coir dust arid other materials like polythene films or certain special kinds of paper are spread in the tree basins and in inter spaces between trees. Main objective of mulching is to conserve soil moisture and to control the weed growth. Previous Next End

8. Soil suitability and management for grapes production 4. Sod In this method, permanent cover of grass is raised in the orchard and no tillage is given. 5. Sod mulch This is similar to sod with the only difference is that the vegetation is cut frequently and the cut material is allowed to remain on the ground. Previous Next End

9. Soil suitability and management for grapes production 6. Intercropping The practice of growing any economic crop in alley spaces of the plant or in the unoccupied spaces of the long duration crop in the early periods is referred as intercropping. 7. Mixed cropping It refers to the practice of growing certain perennial crops in the alley spaces of the main perennial crops. The main advantage is the effective utilization of available area and increase in the net income of the farm per unit area. Previous Next End

10. Soil suitability and management for grapes production 8. Multitier system of cropping Intercropping and mixed cropping involve jointly multitier system of cropping and is defined as a compatible companion of crops having varying morphological frames and rooting habits, grown together in such a manner that their canopies intercept solar energy at varying heights and their roots forage the soil at different zones. The main principle here is that the land, water and sunlight should be effectively used. Previous Next End

11. Assessment 1. --------- is the rootstock resistant to salt stress. Ans: Dogridge 2.Clean culture involve ------- and ---------- Regular ploughing and removal of weeds 3. Main objective of mulching is to conserve -------- Soil moisture 4. growing any economic crop in alley spaces is known as ---------- Inter cropping Previous Next End

12. Reference Singh, S.P. 2000. Commercial fruits. Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana. Kumar, N. 2000. Introduction to Horticulture. Rajalakshmi Publications, Nagarkovil, Tamil Nadu. Agritechtnau.ac.in Previous