Research

These resources related to the Research Consortium.

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

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.

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

Research

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/

Vinecology Drafts Research Proposal for Pacific Rim

Research

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.

Press Release: December 7th, 2006

Research

Date:

2006-12-07 08:00

Davis Student Organization Invited to Lead Workshop at the International Society for Conservation Biology Meeting in South Africa

Vinecology, a graduate student organization at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), has been invited to lead a workshop at the international Society for Conservation Biology meeting in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Vinecology’s mission is to promote biodiversity conservation in vineyard landscapes through education and research while maintaining agronomic quality, economic viability and social equity. This effort is in response to the needs of sustainable viticultural leaders like Dr. Cliff Ohmart, research director for the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, who feel “in the California wine industry, it is increasingly clear that practicing sustainable winegrape growing and conserving on-farm biodiversity is a necessary and desired goal” and “this rapidly emerging discipline requires that we improve learning opportunities for our future industry leaders in any way we can.”

Greening Waipara

Research

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.