Under-vine cover crops: Impact on physical and biological soil proprieties in an irrigated Mediterranean vineyard

Despite their potential benefits, cover crops in vineyards under to Mediterranean climate conditions are still not widespread, especially in the vine row. This under-vine space is normally kept weed-free through the application of herbicides and/or tillage. In this work, we evaluate the effect of a Trifolium fragiferum L. under-vine cover crop (UV) on soil quality, as reflected by a variety of physical, chemical, and biological soil indicators. 15 months after under-vine cover crop implementation, total (SOC) and particulate (POC) organic carbon storage, and soil aggregation (abundance (WSA) and mean weight diameter (MWD) of water stable aggregates) were compared with a control without cover (T) at 0-15 cm. In addition, for three consecutive years after under-vine cover crop implementation, the evolution of soil microbial communities was monitored through the determination of soil basal respiration, soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen (MBC and MBN), and community-level physio-logical profiles (CLPPs). The establishment of the under-vine cover crop resulted in higher values of SOC (27.78 Mg center dot ha(-1) in UV vs. 20.71 Mg center dot ha(-1) in T, +33%) and POC (4.75 Mg center dot ha(-1) in UV vs. 2.73 Mg center dot ha(-1) in T, +74%), as well as aggregation parameters (MWD: 1.82 mu m in UV vs. 1.56 mu m in T, +17% and WSA: 84.68% in UV vs. 71.58% in T, +18%). An evolution towards progressively greater values of biological activity (basal respiration) and microbial biomass was detected in under-vine cover crop soils as time elapsed. It was concluded that the Trifolium fragiferum L. under-vine cover crop led to soil quality improvement in our Mediterranean climate vineyard. Interestingly, this positive effect was noticed shortly after its implementation.

Automated summary

Despite their limited popularity in vineyards under Mediterranean climate, the introduction of a Trifolium fragiferum L. cover crop improved soil quality by increasing organic carbon content, enhancing soil aggregation, and promoting microbial activity.