Viticulture and Oenology Commons^™

Replacing Herbicides With Groundcovers To Enhance Vineyard Sustainability, Benjamin A. Loseke

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In many Midwestern vineyards a three to four-foot weed-free strip is maintained directly beneath the vines to reduce vine-weed competition. Conventionally, this strip has been conserved with repeated applications of herbicide, mainly glyphosate. The necessity for this weed-free strip to reduce vine-weed competition has been well documented in more arid climates. However, in areas with higher soil fertility and adequate rainfall, this strip may be unnecessary. Moreover, stand establishment and early vine growth have not been well documented when planting groundcovers (GC) immediately following the vine planting. The main objective of this project is to assess the severity of competition …