Sustainable use of plant protection products in heroic viticulture areas.Reducing risks to the environment and winemaking.

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim and objective of this article is to focus on the importance of the rational use of plant protection products to combat vine fungi and at the same time reduce their risks to human health and the environment. The integrated management of fungal diseases aims to achieve the development of healthy crops with the minimum alteration of agro-ecosystems and the promotion of natural mechanisms. Material and methodsThe study was carried out in one vineyard in Ribeira Sacra (North-West Spain) during 2018. Souto vineyard is located at 438 m above mean sea level (42{degrees} 24 27.67" N 7{degrees} 28 20.06" W; northwest-southeast orientation) in the lower terraces of the river Sils banks, following the contour lines and with gradients of up to 80%. The variety studied was Godello, for sampling the reproductive structures in the air (spores of Botrytis and Erysiphe and sporangia of Plasmopara), a Lanzoni VPPS-2000(R) spore trap (Lanzoni s.r.l., Bologna, Italy) was used. ResultsThe Botrytis Seasonal Spore Integral (SSIn) was markedly higher than for the other pathogens under consideration. Taking into account the maximum daily values, a clear dominance of Botrytis spores was also found, with a maximum of 397 spores/m3 at the beginning of June, while Erysiphe and Plasmopara were recorded at around 26 and 227 spores/m3, respectively, at the beginning of august and mid-July. The statistical analysis of the spore concentrations and the main meteorological variables showed for Erysiphe that the highest Spearmans r correlation coefficient corresponded to the rainfall, as for Plasmopara airbone sporangia, but with a negative sign, while for Botrytis spores, no significant correspondence was found for any meteorological parameter. ConclusionThe use of plant protection products can be much more effective if fungicides are applied at the right time, at the precise doses and combined with agricultural techniques of management of the vineyards. There are sustainable and profitable alternatives that can improve vine yields while protecting the environment in areas of heroic viticulture where the vineyard, is a fundamental element of the wine-growing landscape, combining as it does historical, cultural and landscape characteristics.