Grapevine agroecosystems with spontaneous vegetation. Agrobiodiversity, ecosystem services, soil quality and ecophysiological response of vines to these environments.

TONOLLI, ALEJANDRO; GRECO, SILVINA; FRUITOS, ANDREA; DEBANDI, GUILLERMO; MARTÍNEZ, LAURA; BARZOLA, PEHUEN; DE ROSAS,INÉS; FERRARI, FLORENCIA

Ciencias agronómicas. Revista de investigaciones de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias - UNR

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias - Universidad Nacional de Rosario

Lugar: Rosario; Año: 2022 vol. 22 p. 106 - 109

The increase in agricultural production can lead to a reduction in biodiversity and, therefore, to a decrease in the capacity of ecosystems to provide ecosystem services (Martín-López and Montes, 2011). Agroecology, as an alternative, has contributed to point out the negative environmental impacts of the conventional agricultural management, but it still needs to develop practices that can properly accomplish its bases: improvement and conservation of biodiversity, soil quality and water care (Tonolli et al., 2019) and thereby ensure the provision of ecosystem services.One of the main tools to promote agrobiodiversity in perennial crops consists of developing a permanent or temporary vegetation cover, on the field surface (Uliarte et al., 2009). This practice increases soil structure, reduces soil compaction, improves water infiltration and maintains biodiversity, among other qualitiesThe dominant vineyard production model in Argentina corresponds to the conventional management but since a time ago, there have been concerns about the environmental sustainability of these agroecosystems. In this sense, many winegrowers have advanced in strategies for managing accompanying vegetation. Thus, it is common to observe green cover in the vine inter-rows. However, this practice still shows imprecise effects on the accompanying plant community, on the soil and on the ecophysiology of the grapevine crop.This project aims to contribute to understand the characteristics of soil, agrobiodiversity, ecosystem services and grapevine ecophysiology in a vine agroecosystem with sowing rye.The research will be carried out in a grapevine agroecosystem in Mendoza, Argentina, during three vegetative cycles. The cultivar is Malbec, conducted on high vertical shoot position trellis system, with drip irrigation. Four treatments will be applied:1) Without row and inter-row vegetation2) Total cover with spontaneous vegetation3) Partial cover of rye Secale cereale (inter-row).4) Total cover of rye Secale cereale ( inter-row + row)Each treatment with three replications and two sampling plots of 80 m2 in each replication. Observations of plant cover, plant characteristics, plant and insect diversity, soil quality will be made.