Exploit biodiversity in viticultural systems to reduce pest damage and pesticide use, and increase ecosystems services provision: the BIOVINE Project

Summary

Organic vineyards still rely on large external inputs to control pests. The BIOVINE project aims to develop natural solutions based on plant diversity to control pests and reduce pesticide dependence. The capability of plants of increasing the ecosystem resistance to pests and invasive species is a well-known ecosystem service. However, monocultures (including vineyards) do not exploit the potential of plant diversity. BIOVINE aims to develop new viticultural systems based on increased plant diversity within (e.g., cover crops) and/or around (e.g., hedges, vegetation spots, edgings) vineyards by planting selected plant species for the control of arthropods, soil-borne pests (oomycetes, fungi, nematodes), and foliar pathogens. Different experiments, both at plot and on farm level, have been settled up with candidate plants as cover crops by each Partner. The first year of trials and assessments was carried out in order to evaluate the ability of such species to: i) attract or repel target arthropod pests; ii) conserve/promote beneficials; iii) control soil-borne pests by mean of biofumigation; iv) carry mycorrhizal fungi to vine root system to increase plant health (growth and resistance); and v) control foliar pathogens by reducing the inoculum spread from soil. An ex-ante assessment of the innovative viticultural systems sustainability was carried and the systems are under evaluation in France, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland for a 2-year period. Innovative viticultural systems should represent an improved way for pest control in organic viticulture, meanwhile they should positively affect functional biodiversity and ecosystem services. New control strategies may provide financial opportunities to vine growers and lower the use of pesticides.