Green manuring with winter crops in vineyards with intensive vegetative growth

Abstract

Green manuring is already well known as a technique to rise the soil fertility in viticulture. The bare soil tillage, as well as the utilization of legumes in the seed mixture of the green manure plants has a strong impact on mineralization of nitrogen. These facts reduced the application of green manuring on vineyards with low vegetative growth. The utilization of nitrogen absorbing cereals as alternative for a green manure in high vigor vineyards is analyzed in the present research trial. These plants should raise the soil organic carbon and absorb the mineral nitrogen released as a result of soil tillage. This should avoid a further increase of vegetative growth by the vines.