Wine is produced by one of two methods: inoculated fermentation, where a commercially-produced, single Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) yeast strain is used; or the traditional spontaneous fermentation, where yeast present on grape and winery surfaces carry out the fermentative process. Spontaneous fermentations are characterized by a diverse succession of yeast, ending with one or mult...

"Vitirover" is a solar-powered autonomous mower. Its role is to control the height of the grass in the vineyards. In doing so, this robot is an alternative to tillage which is a big energy consumer, and to the use of herbicides in the vineyards. This robot is now operational and could be a way to reach sustainability for viticulture. As Vitirover is moving between and under rows of vines it is ...

Anthropogenic landscapes can be rich in resources, and may in some cases provide potential habitat for species whose natural habitat has declined. We used remote videography to assess whether reintroducing individuals of the threatened New Zealand falcon Falco novaeseelandiae into a highly modified agricultural habitat affected the feeding rates of breeding falcons or related breeding behavior ...

Vineyards are amongst the most intensive forms of agriculture often resulting in simplified landscapes where semi-natural vegetation is restricted to small scattered patches. However, a tendency toward a more sustainable management is stimulating research on biodiversity in these poorly investigated agro-ecosystems. The main aim of this study was to test the effect on plant diversity of managem...

In a three-year study, mite populations were monitored in two vineyards, each having two grape varieties with different leaf hair density. In both vineyards native phytoseiids were present: Amblyseius andersoni in one vineyard, and Phytoseius finitimus in the other. The economically important predators Kampimodromus aberrans and Typhlodromus pyri were released in both vineyards in order to stud...

Vineyards are likely to be regionally important for wildlife, but we lack biodiversity studies in this agroecosystem which is undergoing a rapid management revolution. As vine cultivation is restricted to arid and warm climatic regions, biodiversity-friendly management would promote species typical of southern biomes. Vineyards are often intensively cultivated, mostly surrounded by few natural ...

Soil erosion in vineyards has to be considered as an environmental concern as it depletes soil fertility and produces damages in the fields and downstream. High soil and water losses decrease soil quality, and subsequently, can reduce the quality of the grapes and wine. However, in specialized journals of viticulture and enology, soil erosion studies are not present. This paper surveys the soil...

A 3-yr field study was conducted at commercial grape farms to evaluate cutting wild grapevines as a cultural control strategy for grape berry moth, Paralobesia viteana (Clemens). At each farm, wild grapevines were cut in the woods adjacent to one vineyard for control of P. viteana, whereas the comparison vineyard received no such cutting. Both vineyards received a standard broad-spectrum insect...

Soil infiltration processes manage runoff generation, which in turn affects soil erosion. There is limited information on infiltration rates. In this study, the impact of vine age on soil bulk density (BD) and hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was assessed on a loam soil tilled by chisel plough. Soil sampling was conducted in the inter row area of six vineyards, which differed by the age from plantin...

Botrytis cinerea is the cause of the most common disease in the Galician and Portuguese vineyards. Knowledge of the spore levels in the atmosphere of vineyards is a tool for forecasting models of the concentration of spores in order to adjust the phytosanitary treatments to real risk infection periods. The presented study was conducted in two vineyards, one located in Cenlle (Spain) and other i...