|
RECENT ARTICLES | WYNBOER HOME
Short course for organic production of wine grapes proved very successful
Kobus Louw, ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch
The Soil Science Division of Nietvoorbij recently organised a two-day short course on various aspects of organic production of wine grapes. More than 230 producers and technical people attended the course and altogether 20 talks were given by a variety of experts, both from within the Institute and from the Industry.
The proceedings can briefly be summarised as follows:
- There is a worldwide increase in the consumption of organically produced agricultural crops, including wine.
- There is definitely a place for South African organic wine on the local and international markets.
- Proper legislation to control organic production in South Africa is urgently needed. This is not only the case for wine production (it was previously decided to draw up separate legislation for wine production), but for all agriculture as such. The Governmental Departments busy with this legislation were urged to complete the process as quickly as possible.
Figure 1. Using compost and a straw mulch is an integral part of the organic approach to stimulate soil biological activity. Unfortunately, the compost and straw drastically increase production costs, especially in the first two to three years. The prospective organic farmer must be aware of this and make certain that he can obtain the necessary premium on his product to ensure economic feasibility.
|
- Organic production starts in the soil. Organic matter is the key issue, but microbes, earthworms, etc play an important role.
- There are a lot of pitfalls in the production and marketing processes. Prospective producers must be aware of this and should preferably speak to someone who "has been there" before starting the conversion process.
- Do not go overboard with certain emotional issues, i.e. if the plant needs nitrogen, give it, but do so responsibly.
- Clean cultivation to control weeds during the growing season is not the best soil management option in South African vineyards. It is fraught with potential problems and a long-term soil management strategy, which includes cover crops, to control weeds is needed.
- There are no short cuts "out of the bottle" for pest and disease control, although more and more registered products are coming onto the market. The only long-term, sustainable option is proper vineyard and canopy management and most important, the prevention of stress.
- The aim should be to produce low pH wines, as they will need less stabilisation.
- The aim should be to begin the process correctly without any short cuts.
There is definitely a place for organic wine grape production, but producers must make sure that they have the necessary skills for organic production and have a market available that will pay the required premium for the venture to be profitable.
|
|
|
|
Wynboer is incorporated in WineLand, magazine of the SA wine producers.
Subscribe to WineLand
Visit our sister sites:
South African wine farmers' representative organisation
Facts, figures, contact details and much more in the 2009/10 Directory
|
