Selecting the correct herbicide depends on:
- The weeds you wish to control
- The type of soil
- The age of vines
- Time of year
The usual programme is to get weeds well under control in the first few years by many applications, and then reduce the number of applications thereafter.
- Systemic after leaf-fall if perennial weeds present
- Pre-emergence before budbreak
- Spot applications of contacts (or systemics) after budburst
Minimal cultivation is usually used over the whole vineyard surface in high density plantations, but in lower densities, it is reserved for the under-row region.
Advantages & disadvantages to using herbicides
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|---|
- Least expensive in terms of manpower and equipment
- Highly effective
- Hand-held applicators are particularly good for plots that are inaccessible to machinery
- Suited to stony soils
- Maintains good levels of organic matter good soil structure
- Reduced spring frost risk
|
- Herbicides can be expensive to buy
- Can be toxic to young vines (must be protected) and vines in light soils
- Promote high vigour
- Some risk to the operator (esp. Paraquat)
- Some risk to the environment, especially waterways
- Decreased activity of some soil micro organisms and invertebrates
- Can get trapped in soil (Paraquat)
- Soil surface can become rutted & soil compacted
- Increased erosion
- Increased disease risk
- Manures and fertilisers are more difficult to incorporate into the soil
- High level of nitrate leaching in winter
- Weed resistance (e.g. Glyphosate & willowherb)
- Unaesthetic
- Unsustainable
- Lack of wild plants can increase pest problems, e.g. omnivorous leaf-roller
|
In conclusion while herbicides are still very popular due to their associated low labour costs, there is some reduction is usage due to environmental concerns.
