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Vinecology Research

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The Vinecology Research Consortium supports the research mission of Vinecology and includes academic researchers, students, and affiliates interested in applied research questions relating to sustainable viticulture, ecosystem services, working landscapes, and biodiversity, among many topics.

The Vinecology Research Consortium is presently working to promote research in the following areas:

  • Wine Quality from Sustainably Managed Vineyards
  • Water Use, Water Utilization, & Water Quality
  • Cover Cropping and Biodiversity
  • Disease Ecology, including Pierce's Disease
  • Landscape Scale Agroecology
  • Ecosystem Services and Ecosystem Monitoring
  • Market-based Incentives
  • Matrix Habitat Restoration
  • Global Vineyard Assessments

To find out more about ongoing and proposed research from the Vinecology Research Consortium, please contact:
Joshua H. Viers, Ph.D.
jhviers@ucdavis.edu


Research Group Resources

  • From Wine to Whales: An Executive Summary of the 1st International Biodiversity and Vines Workshop

    in

    Organized by the C.A.P.E. Estuaries Programme of CapeNature, Biodiversity and Wine Initiative SA, and Vinecology University of California Davis, the 1st International Workshop on Biodiversity & Vines was held 25-27 June 2007. Nearly 60 participants gathered over three days to discuss research and education as it related to biodiversity conservation in vineyard settings.

    This report is the executive summary of this workshop and a first publication for the Vinecology Research Group.

    Viers, JH, TR Kelsey, P de Villiers, I Kotzé, G Haysom, R Gaigher, SD Wratten, MD Reynolds, & FC Bayly. 2008. From Wine to Whales: an Executive Summary Report of the 1st International Biodiversity and Vines Workshop, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Published by Vinecology Research Group, University of California, Davis, Davis CA USA 20 ppd.

  • SUSTAINABLE VITICULTURE PRACTICES IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA by Mark A. Mayse et. al

    in

    Interest in developing more sustainable viticulture practices is increasing among growers, consumers, and policymakers. A three-year study (1990-92) was conducted in western Fresno County to investigate the effects of cover crops, nitrogen fertilization, and leaf removal not only on yield and quality parameters, but also on population patterns of arthropod pests and their natural enemies. Viticultural data collected included yield, cluster weight, clusters per vine, berry weight, berries per cluster, percentage bunch rot, pruning weight, soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, and a series of nutrient levels (NO3-N, K, P, Zn, Mn, Na, Mg, B). Integrated pest management data collected included leaf sampling for leafhoppers and their egg parasitoids and canopy shakecloth sampling for spiders, as well as sweepnet and pitfall trap sampling for herbivores and natural enemies on vineyard floor vegetation. Results confirm that grape growers have effective alternative practices which should be helpful in developing more sustainable viticulture systems.

    Website: 
    http://cati.csufresno.edu/verc/rese/95/951201/

  • Greening Waipara

    in

    This research-driven project headed by Dr. Steve Wratten at Lincoln University (NZ) inclused local wine growers to calculate the dollar-value of the services provided by nature. These ecosystem services include biological control of pests, pollination and keeping soils fertile, among many others. This is a win-win situation where research on nature’s services provides added value through biocontrol and other environmentally-friendly practices, including reduced reliance on herbicides and pesticides, creation of swales and wetlands with native species to filter contaminated stormwater and vineyard effluent – all done via the restoration of habitat using species which were once common.

    Professor Wratten is the Project Leader at the National Centre for Advanced BioProtection Techonologies, looking specifically at understanding the likelihood of successful biological control occurring is likely to be the spatial scale over which experiments are carried out. This applies particularly to conservation biological control in which agricultural and horticultural habitats are manipulated to increase the availability of pollen, nectar, alternative prey/hosts or shelter.

    Website: 
    http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/story13772.html

  • Vinecology Drafts Research Proposal for Pacific Rim

    in

    Vinecology Research Consortium is proposing a cross-disciplinary program to investigate outcomes of sustainable viticulture practices that utilize Māori traditional knowledge through the University of California Office of the President. New Zealand is a global leader in biodiversity protection and has recently incorporated native cover crops into vineyard operations, resulting in improved on farm biodiversity and economic returns. The in-progress 'Greening Waipara' approach to sustainable viticulture is based on Hei Oranga Whenua, Māori for nurture the land, which incorporates traditional knowledge of native plant species to enhance biodiversity.