Soil Factors in Vineyard Establishment Current Vineyard Issues UC Davis

12 Feb 2015

Paul VerdegaalUC Farm AdvisorSan Joaquin County (Lodi AVA)

Soil

• Sand • Silt• Clay• Air• Water• Organic Matter

Soil Functions

• Anchorage • Water Storage and Conveyance• Nutrient Source• Growth Medium

Soil Affects Vine Growth Productivity

Longevity

• SoiI is the foundation that affects – Vineyard Design– Irrigation Strategies & Implementation– Canopy and Crop Management– Yields & Fruit Quality– Potential long term problems and vine longevity

Terroir and Soil• Soil and local climate

– Not the chemistry or “minerality”– More so under non-irrigated “dry farming”

• Water Holding Capacity and Irrigation Management– Depth and Texture– Regulated Deficits

Old Vine Zin Trellised Zinfandel

Grape Vines are the Nutrient & Water Camels of Horticultural Soils

Soil Determines

• Water Holding Capacity WHC• Cation Exchange Capacity CEC • pH• Drainage• Depth of Rooting

“Old School”

High Tech

Factors in Soil and Vineyard Establishment

Soil• Check Soil Survey Maps• Observe obvious soil differences and plant/wed

distribution.• Sample soil at establishment and about every 5 years

or so.• Keep records of analyses and notes of problems or

successes.

California Soil Resource Lab• http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/

Org. Matter  Clay  Sand  Ksat  pH  Kf FactorEC  SAR  CaCO3  Gypsum  CEC @ pH7  Linear Ext.

Map Unit Name: Tokay fine sandy loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes Component Name: Tokay

Official Series Description ▼▲  Soil Profiles

Representative SamplesTake samples from regular intervals down and across rows to combine for each soil type or block.

Site Evaluation

Soil Sampling

• Pre-Plant back hoe pits• Discard first 6 inches of topsoil• Collect top 12 to 18” for O.M. As separate sample.• Sample at each foot level to ~3 feet.• Combine 3 or more spots of each unique area of the vineyard; along

the outer berm about half way between vine and drip emitter.• One sample for each area or one per 10 to 20 acres

per 10 to 20 acres.

Physical Properties

• Texture– Clay Types

• Depth• Layers• Structure

– Strong– Massive– Prismatic

Generalized Geomorphic Model of Alluvium in the San Joaquin Valley

Sierra Nevada GraniticRock

Metamorphic Rock of Sierra Foothills

Dissected Volcanic Uplands

(3-10 million yr)

Rollingdissected fan

terraces(>600,000 yr)

Undulating low fan terraces

(130,000-330,000 yr)

Low relief alluvial fans(0-70,000 yr)

Alluvial basins(0-14,000 yr)

Flood plains(0-14,000 yr)

West East

Physical Factors

• Texture– Sand, Silt, Clay, and O.M.

• Depth– Rooting Depth & Total Available Water

• Layers– Root growth impaired

• Restrictions– Roots impaired; drainage affected; aeration

Soil Water Holding Capacity WHC

Soil Texture Available Water Holding capacity(in. of water/foot of soil)

Very coarse sands 0.4 - 0.75

Coarse sands, fine sands, loamy sands 0.75 - 1.25

Sandy loams, fine sandy loams 1.25 - 1.75

Very fine sandy loams, loams, silt loams 1.50 - 2.30

Clay loams, silty clay loams, sandy clay loams 1.75 - 2.50

Sandy clays, silty clays, clays 1.60 - 2.50

Physical Factors

• Aggregation (clod size) – Strong– Massive– Prismatic

• Layers– Root growth impaired– Permeability of water rain or applied

• Restrictions– Roots impaired; drainage affected; aeration

Large clod

Massive

Prismatic

Chemical Composition• Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

– dS/M (mm/cm)

• pH• Salinity - Electrical Conductivity E.C.• Organic Matter (O.M.) • Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP)

Sodicity - Permeability [Na:Ca+Mg ratio]• Deficiencies

– K, P, Zn, B, Cu (Fe-lime induced) Mo?

• Toxicities – B, Na, Cl

• Lime Requirement

Nutrient availability by pH

Vermiculite-intermediately weathered soils

Smectite-shrink swell clays

Kaolinite-old, highly weathered soils

Exchangeable K on clay surface & edges

Fixed K-very slowly available

Effects of clay minerals on the fate of K

Soil K fixation in Lodi winegrape district: Summary of profiles from 141 locations in 36 vineyards

(2006-09 -- Pettygrove, Southard, O’Geen, and Minoshima, UC Davis)

Landscape positionK-fixing Location-

dependentNon K-fixing

Fine textured alluvial basin

Dierssen, Guard, Scribner

Archerdale, Hollenbeck

Galt, Stockton, Clearlake

Flood plain low relief alluvial fans Sailboat Tokay, Columbia

Tujunga, Acampo, Kingdon

Rolling, dissected low fan terraces

San Joaquin, Yellowlark, Kaseberg

Montpellier, Cometa, Bruella

Madera, Alamo

Rolling dissected higher fan terraces Redding

Dissected volcanic uplands Pentz, Bellota

K Applications to soil

• Historically very wide range of K rates • Recommended: 30 to >1500 lb K2O/acre)• K moves to roots by diffusion – very short distance• Late season deficit irrigation under drip can reduce root uptake –

when K demand is high• Drip fertigation appears to be an efficient way to supply K to vines –

much lower rates required• Typical K rates applied by drip are adequate for K-fixing soils• Monitoring and replacement on regular basis needed

• Few K fertilizer rate studies published• Still several unknowns about K application and uptake

Pettygrove et al, 2012

K Summary

• K fixation is a significant property of some vineyard soils, but its significance for winegrape production is not fully understood.

• Fixation and response depends on clay type, amount and ?• Clays and clay loams strongest fixers• Some loams and sandy loams (vermiculite in fine sand fraction)• Grapes excellent foragers of K• Annual K removal is very significant• Most fixation is below 8 inches• K response can be inconsistent from buffering of soil, water• K and pH correlation not direct or strong

– Irrigation, Vine vigor (Balance) and Vineyard Design important

Soil Organic Matter

• Most soils very low in CA• Extremely difficult to increase O.M. under CA conditions• Different soil types will contribute various amounts of

mineralized biological material

Mineralized Nitrogen from Humus*

Soil Type Humus % Mineralized N (lbs/yr)

Loamy sand 0.3 10 to 15

Sandy Loam 0.6 20 to 25

Fine Sandy Loam 1.5 50 to 65

*Average of two feet of soil

Bill Peacock, UC Farm Advisor Emeritus, Tulare County

Some Problem Sites

• Serpentine Soils– High magnesium

• High lime or Calcareous sub soils– Lime induced chlorosis– High pH

• Intensely grazed pasture lands/corrals– Micro-nutrient deficiencies – High nitrates - vine vigor

• “Old” (highly weathered) Soils– low n available P

• Coarse sandy soils– Low CEC– Salinity/Sodicity

• High organic soils– Same as above– Low pH

Pre-Plant Soil Amendments

• Change structure Adjust pH• Increase “tilth” (aggregation)• Increase O.M.• Flush Na• Leach B• Correct Lime Induced Chlorosis

• Ripping or Slip Plowing• Compost, Cover Crop; (green manure); pomace, etc.• Lime (CaCO₃ or Ca(OH)2

• Dolomitic Lime (+Mg)• Gypsum (CaSO₄)• Soil Sulfur (popcorn sulfur)• Sulfuric acid ($,quick,danger)

Guidelines on Soil Suitability for Grapes

Soil FactorNo Problem(less than 10% yield loss)

Increased problem(10 to 25% yield loss expected)

Severe Problems(25 to 50% yield loss expected)

SalinityE.C. (dS/M)

< 0.7 to 1.5 1.5 to 3.0 > 3

PermeabilityESP (est)

Below 10 10 to 15 Above 15

Cl meq/l (ppm) Below 10 (350) 10 to 30 (350-1060) Above 30 (1060)

B ppm Below 1 1 to 3 Above 3

Na meq/l (ppm) - Above 30(690) -

pH 5.5 to 8.5 - -

UC Div of Ag Sci. Leaflet 21056 1978

*Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Soils and Water

• Sample well source annually, if budget allows.• Standard panel of analyses is enough and relevant to nutrient and irrigation

strategies; E.C., pH, bicarbonates , B (if potential problem).• Nitrate level is important to overall Nitrogen program. Expressed as either NO₃-

N or NO₃

• Beginning in 2015 – “Farm Evaluations”; – Farm Plan– Well ID– Erosion and Sediment Plan– Nitrogen Plan and N use reports will be required in following years.

• East San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, Sacramento Valley and Delta San Joaquin regions are first. All of California to follow.

• Keep records of analyses and notes for info and future compliance.

*Nitrogen in the Irrigation Water

Conversion from ppm in Irrigation water to lbs/ac-in applied

·Conversion to lbs N / ac-in:

ppm (NO3) x 0.052 = lbs N / ac-in

ppm (NO3-N) x 0.23 = lbs N / ac-in

Applied Water 18 inches/season

6 ppm NO-3 x 0.052 x 18 = 5.6 lbs. N per

season

Biological

• Native Vegetation of Area• Previous Crop• Nematodes• Phylloxera• Oak Root Fungus Armillaria sp• Others

Sour Dock Cattails

Alkali plantIrrigated Alfalfa

Dry land Pasture

Grapes

Biological • Nematodes

– Root knot Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica, M. arenaria, and M. hapla

– Ring Mesocriconema (=Criconemella) xenoplax

– Lesion Pratylenchus vulnus

– Dagger (X. index; X americanum) + GFLV

• Phylloxera• Oak Root Fungus Armillaria sp

• Verticillium, Crown Gall (Agrobacterium vitis)

• Grape Fanleaf Virus• Others

Sources of Information

• Biology of the Grapevine, M.G. Mullins, M.G., A. Bouquet and L.E. Williams. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 1992

• Grape Pest Management Third Edition, Bettiga et al. UCANR 3343

2013• General Viticulture by Winkler, Cook, Kliever & Lider. 1976• Hilgardia Publications List 1925-1995 at Integrated Viticulture

(below)

• http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/• http://iv.ucdavis.edu• http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/• http://www.coststudies.ucdavis.edu

• http://ucmanagedrought.ucdavis.edu/ • http://www. lodiwine.com/lodi-winegrowers-workbook

Scientific Art vs Artful Science“By the year 2000, it may be that the triggering mechanisms

inducing the grape to produce flavorants will have been established. It may, by then, be possible both to control bottle aged character in wines through viticultural practices and also to enhance varietal character in fruit by the judicious addition of stimulatory substances applied to the vine during growth.”

Strauss, Wilson and Williams, 1985

Summary• Soil

– Vine Growth and Productivity• Determinants

– WHC– CEC– Depth of Rooting– Drainage

• Characteristics– Physical– Chemical– Biological

• Soils Determine– Vineyard Design– Irrigation Strategies & Implementation– Canopy and Crop Management– Yields & Fruit Quality– Potential long term problems and vine longevity

“Sustainability” and Health