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Soil Fertility For Specific Crops |
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In this section we address aspects of soil fertility relevant
to specific crops.
Pasture
Winegrapes
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Improving Soil Fertility To Improve Winegrape Quality
A need to build soil nutrients - correcting poor overall soil fertility - is one of the major
problems that has become evident when working with the current thinking in winegrape production.
In evidence of this more and more vineyards are striving to use natural materials or grow their
grapes organically. Wineries are now making their own compost by combining manure with grape
pomace. And this can be an excellent move which provides several benefits for the soils, so long
as using such materials maintains the required fertility levels. At the least such actions do show that
not all vineyards believe a lack of soil fertility grows better grapes for winemaking!
Detailed sampling and analysis of both vineyard soils and any composted materials that are being
considered for use there has been a part of our soil fertility considerations over many years now, for
numerous clients who grow winegrapes. But every grower should also consider that the overuse
of even excellent compost can cause a shortage of some other needed nutrient, particularly
when any of the primary nutrients are already high in that soil. The same is true of any soil
amendment or fertilizer that provides an inordinate amount of build-up for any element that is
already high in a soil.
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Some Effects of Nutrients in Excess |
Nitrogen Specifically, too much nitrogen can cause a copper deficiency. Though copper
is only needed in "trace" amounts, along with potassium and manganese it helps to increase vine
resilience and skin quality in wine grapes. (When the need is correctly measured and the proper
material is added copper prevents cracking of the skins at the stem of the grape.) Too much
nitrogen can hurt grapes instead of helping them, but so can phosphate and/or potassium.
Phosphate Excessive phosphate levels in the soil can result in poor water utilization.
Too much compost or manure, or even soft rock phosphate, or 11-52-0 (MAP) or 18-48-0 (DAP),
or any phosphate source that will sufficiently build P levels in the soil can cause this to happen.
Zinc is necessary for moisture absorption by the plant. Excessive phosphate ties up zinc.
Yet too many soil tests do not detect this problem due to the type of testing performed! Thus
too much phosphate in the soil can rob your vines (or any other crop) of the zinc that provides the
ability to efficiently utilize moisture. Too much phosphate can cause plants to require more rainfall
or irrigation than would otherwise be needed. This happens in far more vineyards than most
growers tend to suspect. Furthermore, an excess of phosphate can impede sulfur availability
and uptake - a key to palatability for winegrape production.
Potassium Excessive potassium levels will reduce boron availability, needed for nitrogen
conversion and the transfer of starch from the leaves to the fruit. When excessive enough,
potassium - whether combined with sodium or not - can block manganese uptake, another key
nutrient for vine strength, fruit set, and skin quality of the grapes.
Just consider that too much of any essential nutrient can cause problems for growing grapes,
just as too little of any needed nutrient may be a detriment to them. A proper relationship between
all of the needed nutrients is required in the soil to achieve the desired response for growing the best
grapes on each individual soil.
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Balanced Nutrients Improve Soil Structure |
Our approach to optimum soil fertility is based on using soil chemistry to determine the soil's
mineral content of lack thereof. Then adding the minerals determined to be needed will influence
the physical structure, which in turn provides the proper environment for the optimum level of
biological life in the topsoil. In this regard, our methods help build an environment to better
encourage life in the soil, which translates to the grapes and the wine.
These nutrient-rich soils encourage increased rooting even at lower depths and help to provide
the individual character and the desired terrior for grapes that make up the particular qualities of
each wine. This system of analysis and recommendations can help measure and provide the basic
guidelines in that regard.
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The Need For A Correctly Interpreted Analysis |
You cannot correctly manage needed nutrients until you have the ability to properly measure
them! But in general, most growers have no real idea as to how well the fertility of their vineyard
soils actually measures up. The Albrecht-Kinsey system of soil analysis is based on more than
30 years of soil fertility work using detailed measurements and specially formulated procedures for
controlling both excesses and deficiencies in soil used for winegrape production.
It is possible to define, measure, and manage soil fertility in order to achieve higher quality in
the vineyard. We teach this to clients using a program designed to help growers better utilize soil
testing and fertilization for maximum benefit.
The Albrecht-Kinsey Model of soil analysis and fertilization is not, and will not, become a
system whereby all winegrape soils lose their individuality and ability to provide desired specific
qualities from the grapes and resulting wines. (Work with vineyards and wineries known for their
very exceptional wines, on our program for ten years or more, has shown this to be the case.)
But the program does provide the ability to measure and influence the aerobic zone in a positive
way for both the vines and the wines.
Using soil fertility to the utmost can help give more life to your topsoil and thus give more life
to your vines. Give more life to you vines to give more "life" to your wines!
Copyright © Kinsey Agricultural Services, Inc. 2008. All rights reserved.
