Cover crops

What are cover crops?

Cover crops are grown between vine rows to help protect soil, reduce erosion, suppress weeds and provide nutrients. They can also support integrated pest management by increasing biodiversity, providing habitat for pest predators and contributing to natural nutrient cycling that supports soil and vine health.

Balancing the benefits and impacts of cover crops

Cover crops can significantly affect the water available to grapevines. This can reduce vine vigour and yield, so choosing the right species and managing the cover crop appropriately can have an important effect on vineyard productivity and grape quality.

The benefits of cover cropping therefore need to be balanced against potential negative impacts.

Cover crop performance can also vary from year to year. A species or management approach that works well in one season may be less suitable in another. For example, perennial cover crops can be mown to reduce their water use in dry years, but they can restrict yields compared with using mulch in the mid-row.

Climate change adds further complexity to these decisions. With more severe summer rainfall events forecast, maintaining soil cover will become increasingly important.

Protecting soil and managing vineyard conditions

Cover crops can protect soil from raindrop impact and help prevent erosion. Rolling or mowing a cover crop can maintain protective soil cover, but these practices can also affect soil and canopy temperatures. This is particularly important when managing frost risk and summer heatwaves.

Selecting an appropriate cover crop can also help suppress weeds by out-competing other plants on the vineyard floor.