This work seeks to synthesise the knowledge on the use of cover crops in vineyards in the last 20 years, emphasising on the one hand, soil characteristics such as nutrition, organic carbon, structure or erosion and, on the other hand, environmental factors such as soil and biodiversity in vineyards, and gas emissions.A systematic review was made using Scopus-index journals for the past 20 years (1999 - 2018). The selection was independently done by two researchers, selecting a total of 272 published papers related to cover crops in the vineyard. Each article was categorised according to its theme and metadata were created, considering all relevant information from an agro-ecological point of view.The use of cover crops has a positive effect on the vineyard by increasing soil organic carbon (SOC), improving water infiltration and aggregate stability, and reducing erosion and greenhouse gases emission to the atmosphere. Furthermore, there is an increase in biodiversity, both in soil and the vineyard. Finally, cover crops do not constitute as a rule a major competition for nutrients to the vines except for nitrogen when grass covers are used. Contrarily, legume cover crops generally increase N in the soil, although its availability for plants is not immediate.This review constitutes an objective tool to help growers when considering the use of cover crops in vineyards that, based in a systematic review, provides relevant information depending on the characteristics of the growing condition of the vineyard.

This study aims to evaluate the interest of using an under-vine cover crop as a sustainable management tool replacing herbicides or tillage to control weeds, evaluating its effects on yield and berry parameters in a semi-arid climate. The performance of Trifolium fragiferum as an under-vine cover crop was evaluated in 2018 and 2019 in a Merlot vineyard in Traibuenas (Navarra, Spain). This trial showed that the soil under the vines was covered by 80 % of the cover crop in August 2018 and 100 % in Aug 2019, with clover (T. fragiferum) comprising around 26 % and 70 % of the cover crop surface, respectively. The presence of the cover crop only reduced the number of shoots in the second year, although both years there was an increment in water stress. Neither yield, cluster weight nor berry weight were affected by the presence of the under-vine cover crop. Similarly, no changes in grape composition were observed. The use of T. fragiferum-like cover crops under the vine allows for better control of weeds, provided a good installation is achieved. In the first two years, this cover crop reduced vegetative growth and increased water deficit slightly. However, no changes in yield and grape composition were observed.In a context of herbicide suppression and search for sustainable management, under-vine clover cover crops constitute a viable alternative in semi-arid regions provided drip irrigation can be applied.

The present systematic review aims to provide an overview of the impact of cover crops on vegetative growth and the productive parameters of vineyards.A systematic review was made on Scopus-index journals dating from 1999 to 2018. The selection was made at the same time by two different researchers, who selected a total of 272 published papers related to cover crops in vineyards. Each article was categorised according to its theme and a metadata database was created, considering all relevant information from an agronomic point of view for each article.It can be concluded from the review that the use of cover crops can reduce vine vegetative growth, which in turn can help keep the incidence of fungal diseases (like grey mould) at a low level. In general, this practice does not have a clear effect on vineyard yield or grape juice parameters, like total soluble solids (TSS) or titratable acidity (TA). Cover crops can decrease vineyard pests to a certain extent, especially Cicadellidae. Cover crops can sometimes sporadically cause water stress in the vineyard, but only during the summer months.This review allowed us to summarise available information on cover crops and their effects on vineyard agronomic performance in a systematic way. Such information can be used to help select the most suitable cover, based on specific vineyard objectives and growing conditions.

A Trifolium fragiferum (strawberry clover) cover crop was used as an alternative for weed control under the vines in an irrigated vineyard located in a semiarid area of Northern Spain. The cover crop allowed a satisfactory and cost-effective management of weeds, without causing relevant changes in yield and grape and wine characteristics. After 4 years of study, we demonstrated that the use of a cover crop under the vines can be an economically profitable alternative to herbicide or intra-row mechanical tillage.