Growth and Yield of Cultivated Grape with Native Perennial Grasses Nodding Needlegrass or California Barley as Cover Crops

Abstract

<jats:p>Two California native perennial grasses, nodding needlegrass [<jats:italic>Nassella cernua</jats:italic> (Stebbins &amp; R.M. Love) Barkworth] and California barley [<jats:italic>Hordeum brachyantherum</jats:italic> Nevski ssp. <jats:italic>californicum</jats:italic> (Covas &amp; Stebbins) Bothmer, N. Jacobsen &amp; Seberg], were compared with a conventional grass cover crop, ‘Blando’ brome (<jats:italic>Bromus hordeaceus</jats:italic> L.), as well as resident (weedy) vegetation and a clean cultivated control for effects on growth and yield of cultivated grape (<jats:italic>Vitis vinifera</jats:italic> L. cv. Barbera). Statistical analyses did not reveal yield differences between treatments with floor vegetation (the native grasses, ‘Blando’ brome, and resident vegetation) and clean cultivation, the cover crop treatments (the native grasses and ‘Blando brome’) and clean cultivation, nor the native grass treatments versus treatments with non-native floor vegetation (‘Blando’ brome and resident vegetation). However, there was a significant difference between the two native grasses with the average yield of nodding needlegrass 26.2% higher than that of California barley. Treatments did not differ in °Brix, berry weight, or pruning weight. At the end of the study, vine trunk diameter was 7.1% higher under the cover crop treatments than resident vegetation. Given these results, in vineyards where a neutral effect on growth or yield is desired, nodding needlegrass would be suitable as a permanent cover crop, whereas California barley would not.</jats:p>

Combining Legume Groundcovers and Low Nitrogen Fertilization in a Short-rotation Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) Cropping System: Effect on Productivity, Soil Fertility, and Nutrient Leaching

“…This result can be attributed to the fact that the regular mulching of alfalfa cover crop biomass led to decomposition and produced enough organic N to help meet the nutritional needs of trees. This assumption is supported by Wilson et al (2010), who reported that mowing alfalfa groundcovers once every 3 weeks returned an average of 2.5 tÁha -1 of green manure to the ground, corresponding to 85 kgÁha -1 of accumulated organic N. Positive groundcover effects have been reported in cultivated grapes (Costello, 2010) and several other fruit-based agricultural cropping systems (Radovich et al, 2009). The finding is also in line with Kuhn and Pedersen (2009) who reported that a cover crop-based system with regular mulching produced vigorous tree growth and significantly higher tree productivity.…”

Grapevine and Soil Water Relations with Nodding Needlegrass (Nassella cernua), a California Native Grass, as a Cover Crop

“…In the current study, if the higher in-row soil moisture in the nodding needlegrass treatment means that these vines used less in-row water, this should have been reflected in a smaller vine canopy, i.e., having lower vigor, than under clean cultivation. However, the vines in the nodding needlegrass and clean cultivation treatments had equivalent pruning weights, which is an index of vigor and canopy size, and vine trunk diameter was greater in the nodding needlegrass treatment compared with clean cultivation (Costello, 2010). There is therefore little evidence that lower vine water use explains the higher inrow soil moisture content in the nodding needlegrass treatment.…”

“…If the vine roots were located primarily in the in-row zone as has been shown for drip-irrigated vineyards (Stevens and Douglas, 1994), the extra water use by the nodding needlegrass cover crop in the between-row zone, occurring primarily during the off-season, should have had little effect on vine growth or yield. Indeed, this was the case, because yield and pruning weight with nodding needlegrass as a cover crop was equivalent with clean cultivation (Costello, 2010).…”

“…This study's focus on nodding needlegrass and its effect on water relations was part of a larger experiment on vineyard cover crops (Costello, 2010). Cover crop treatments were established in Nov. 1996, and nodding needlegrass was planted at a rate of 13.2 kgÁha -1 equivalent.…”

“…The intent of the present study was to evaluate the potential for California native grasses as vineyard cover crops, and furthermore, how one species, nodding needlegrass, affects soil-and vine-water relations. Vine vigor and yield data of nodding needlegrass and other cover crops in this study are presented in another paper (Costello, 2010). The native range of nodding needlegrass extends from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys through the coastal regions of central and southern California (Beetle, 1947).…”