The vinegrower-farmer adapts his ploughing and decides of the plot's grassing-over according to the state of the soil and the vigour of the vine.
The right moment to work the soil must be chosen, with the help of specific tools coupled to the tractor.
earthing-up
Earthing-up the vines consists in bringing soil back from the row to the plants, in order to create a mound. This is used on young plants to reinforce the emission of roots, thus helping their growth but also protecting them from the cold.
At the end of winter, frost will have rendered thiner this plough's earth.
Mechanical weeding
The advantage of mechanical weeding is its respect of the soil's microbial life.
IN THE ROWS
The weeder blades are made up of 50 to 60 cm long blades that work a few cm deep in the soil, under the row of vines.
These blades cut the adventicious roots, that will then dry out. This enables the soil to break up, and helps seperate the roots from the strip of soil.
In these photos, the work is done in the begining of spring, on a plot of young vines that has been earthed up for the winter. The earth is thin, therefore the work is easier.
BETWEEN THE ROWS
MAstered grassing-over
Setting up a cover of vegetation allows :
- a natural loosening and an improved stability of the soil.
- a stimulation of biological activity.
- a limitation of streaming and erosion, by facilitating the capacity of water infiltration.
PERMANENT GRASSING-OVER
Grassing-over brings about a hydro-nitrogen counteraction which enables us to reduce the vigour of the vine, thus reducing its yield.
GREEN MANURE
Green manure is a plant cultivated to increase the soil's fertility.
It rapidly and intensly stimulates the biological activity of the soil during its growth, especially after ploughing-in.
spreading
The soil is important, ok!
But what work needs vine?