Wine: natural, organic, biodynamic, authentic Jamie Goode PhD www.wineanorak.com @jamiegoode
Published in 2011 by University of California Press
Growing grapes Biodynamics Organics Sustainable Conventional
Growing grapes No really clear distinctions: Lots of overlap between biodynamics and organics Sustainable shares a lot with both And conventional overlaps a bit too Biodynamics Organics Sustainable Conventional
Conventional viticulture Vines need: Protection from fungal disease and pests A range of chemical solutions including systemic fungicides and insecticides Replacement of mineral ions in soil Fertlizers/fertigation Suppression of weeds Herbicide treatments, e.g. glyphosate (Roundup) Adequate water supply Irrigation may be used
Organics Takes a different approach Focus on soil health is at its heart A reaction to modern agriculture with its reliance on agrochemicals In viticulture, some chemical input needed sulfur and copper
Organic viticulture Vines need: Protection from fungal disease and pests Elemental sulfur and copper sulfate limited efficacy and problems with copper toxicity Replacement of mineral ions in soil Composting and natural products Suppression of weeds Manual weed removal Adequate water supply Irrigation may be used
Sustainable viticulture
Why sustainability? Moral imperative: shouldn t expect next generation to pick up our tab Equally importantly: better grape quality through a more holistic and deeper understanding of the vineyard agroecosystem
X Bad old viticulture Too much focus on the vine alone Soils seen merely as inert medium providing support and nutrients Emphasis on dealing with problems (fungal, insect, poor nutrition) using simplistic chemical solutions Vicious circle: simplistic solutions making problems worse UNSUSTAINABLE
The new viticulture Seeing the vine as part of a complex vineyard system (agroecosystem) Concentrating on soil and vine health rather than disease Using intelligent, elegant solutions for any problems that remain Recognizing the complexity of nature and the limits of our knowledge
Biology is more complex and aweinspiring than we realize Example: semiochemicals Herbivore-induced plant volatiles released in response to attack These recruit natural enemies as an airborne SOS signal Attack by corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera
Example 2: systemic acquired resistance/induced systemic resistance
IPM: using information
Example: Dolichogenidea tasmanica and flowering buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum Common parasitoid of leafroller larvae, a serious pest of grapevines Biological control
Encouraging biodiversity Ecological compensation zones Cover cropping Local knowledge of entomology vital can make problems worse Vineyards are very promising for this sort of work
Biological control examples Cryptolaemus montrouzieri - biological control agent for mealy bug, a vector for leaf roll virus Red spider mites can be controlled biologically by predatory mites such as Phytoseiulus persimilis
Pheromones cause sexual confusion in pest species Eudemis (Lobesia botrana) and Cochylis (Eupoecilia ambiguella) Pheromones attract the male moths Three times more expensive than chemical control Sexual confusion
Composting
Composting
Composting
Biological control of botrytis Botryzen - a fungus that competitively colonises plant material also invaded by pathogenic fungi Serenade - a bacterium (Bacillus subtilis) producing a diffusable substance that inhibits fungal pathogens
Undervine weed control
Biodynamics
Preparation Contents 500 Cow manure fermented in a cow horn, which is then buried and over-winters in the soil 501 Ground quartz (silica) mixed with rain water and packed in a cow s horn, buried in spring and then dug up in autumn Mode of application Sprayed on the soil typically at a rate of 60 g per hectare in 34 litres of water. Sprayed on the crop plants 502 Flower heads of yarrow fermented in a stag s bladder Applied to compost along with preparations 503-507. Together these control the breakdown of the manures and compost, helping to make trace elements more available to the plant 503 Flower heads of camomile fermented in the soil Applied to compost 504 Stinging nettle tea Applied to compost. Nettle tea is also sometimes sprayed on weak or low vigour vines 505 Oak bark fermented in the skull of a domestic animal Applied to compost 506 Flower heads of dandelion fermented in cow mesentery Applied to compost 507 Juice from valerian flowers Applied to compost 508 Tea prepared from horsetail plant (Equisetum) Used as a spray to counter fungal diseases
Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)
The powdery mildew paradox Uncinula necator Introduced to Europe 1840s from USA Vitis vinifera has no resistance Chemical solutions (sulfur or systemic fungicides) therefore essential From American species CSIRO/INRA scientists have identified Run1 Single gene can confer resistance GM only option to use this scientific insight
Some key questions Does sustainability go far enough? What are the effects of systemic fungicides on vineyard microbial populations? What effect does glyphosate have on soils? Can we understand biodynamics better using scientific approaches, and will this be helpful? How does work in the vineyard impact on wine quality?
Organic preparations: an example BioAg Australian product organically approved mixture of nutrients can act as microbial inoculum as well as providing trace elements Some very positive experiences; some perhaps less so Foliar treatments as well as soil treatments Expensive (NZ$1000/hectare)
The new viticulture Empirical science The vineyard is a whole Low-impact viticultural tool kit, embracing elegant biological solutions Less scientific fundamentalism Integrating biodynamics/organics with good science No prescriptions: adapted to each site
Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand The wine sector has reduced their total agrichemical loading of insecticides by 72% and fungicides by 62% 1999-2007
Authenticity matters to people Vermeer s The Love Letter