Compost: waste no waste, the rotten truth

Arianna Bozzolo

Compost Use in Vineyard

Post harvest is the perfect time for:

disease and pest control

weed control

planting of cover crops

check the nutritional status

apply compost

What is compost?

What is compost?

Compost: humified material resulting from the composting process, exhibiting amending as well fertilizing character.

Why is compost? Enhancement of waste material

Erosion

Organic matter

Releases nutrients slowly

Increase soil microbial activity

May suppress diseases

Numbers…

t/ha t humus ha/year

Pruning residues 2.3 - 4.4 0.4 - 0.8 Skin and seeds 1.5 - 4.5 0.1 - 0.4 Stems 0.3 0.05 - 0.2 Leaves 1.6 - 6.3 0.2 - 0.4 Tot

0.7 - 2

1-1.5 t humus lost / ha / year

Compost and Viticulture EFFECTS REFERENCES

Reduce erosion, increase O.M. soil. Bosse, 1967 Carsoulle et al., 1986

Increase O.M. soil, increase production. Enkelmann e Volkel,1982

Improvement of the physical-chemical characteristics of the soil.

Increase in growth of young vines and production.

Scienza et al.,1987 Pinamonti et al., 1991

Increase production and sugar content Wang et al, 1991

Adsorption of heavy metals in sandy, acidic and degraded soils.

Delas, 1993

Increase in grape sugars, pH and lower acidity of musts.

Ravara, 2006

Object

How the use of compost in vineyard affect soil characteristic

and productive behavior of grapevine

From Missouri to Italy

Location

EUGANEI HILLS

Euganei Hills

The Vineyard Location: Valnogaredo

Variety Merlot

Rootstock 161-49

Training cordon spur pruning

Row distance and vine distance in a row

(m) 1,7 x 0,7

Age 3 years old

Irrigation no

Soil chemical-physical characteristic

FAO-UNESCO, 1994 - Calcaric Regosol

Schel. (g/kg)

Texture (%) pH

CE 2,5:1

(dS/m)

Lime (g/kg) C N C/N

CEC (cmol

(+) / kg) sand silt clay total active %

511 36 15 49 8,1 0,34 450 167 3,45 0,33 10 30,8

The vineyard

Sampling

YEAR I spring autumn

1 2 3 4 5

YEAR II spring autumn YEAR III spring autumn

YEAR I: 5 t/ha of compost

Total Organic Carbon

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 2 3 4 5

%

samplings

No Compost

Compost

compost

* *

C and N microbial biomass

0100200300400500

1 2 3 4

mg/

kg

samplings

C microbial biomass No CompostCompost*

0

50

100

150

200

1 2 3 4

mg/

kg

samplings

N microbial biomass No CompostCompost*

Average crop yield and fruit composition evaluation parameters

Year I Year II Year III

NC C NC C NC C

Yield (kg/vine) 0.799 1.028 * 0.95 1.04* 0.52 0.58 n.s.

Cluster per vine (no) 7.2 7.5 * 7.3 8.3* 7.2 7.3 n.s.

Cluster weight (g) 96.6 134.6 * 94.7 115.5* 62.9 71.8 n.s.

°Brix 21.2 22.3 n.s. 24.2 25.7* 25.6 26.1 n.s.

Titratable acidity (g/L) 6.5 6.7 n.s. 6.7* 6.0 5.8 5.9 n.s.

pH 3.4 3.6 * 3.4 3.6* 3.7 3.7 n.s.

Conclusion Increase of S.O.M.

Increase of soil microbial biomass C and N

Productive parameters indicate that the application of compost can produces immediate positive effects

General conclusion Compost application affects chemical and microbiological characteristics of the soil and improves the vegetative

and productive activity of vines

21

The maintenance of soil fertility is the real basis of plants health

and resistance to disease