Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Vineyard'

Thesis (B.F.A.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2009.
Project advisor: Kathryn McCormick. Title from PDF title page; viewed on Jan. 21, 2010. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on microfiche.

Thesis (B.S.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2010.
Project advisor: James Ahern. Title from PDF title page; viewed on Mar. 24, 2010. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on microfiche.

Italian vineyards are large-scale monocultures characterized by high pesticide pressure and removal of ecologically valuable structures. In the resulting highly disturbed and simplified systems, the insurgence of non-native species outbreaks can easier occur. In this framework, the preservation of semi-natural habitats and the adoption of more sustainable vineyard management practices are of particular importance in vineyard agro-ecosystems. In this thesis, the influence of vineyard management and landscape complexity on leafhopper species was investigated. Results shown that investigated factors can affect the leafhopper population densities and their natural control, and therefore they should be considered when pest control strategies are planned on a large scale. Moreover, some habitat manipulation practices, such as the management of spontaneous groundcover and the use of green manure, could be useful strategies to increase and/or enhance beneficial arthropods by providing fundamental sources for the survival and reproduction of natural enemies. The presence of non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic. In particular, non-mowed vegetation could make harder the control of Scaphoideus titanus populations in organic vineyards, and its adoption should be carefully evaluated when the leafhopper occurs in the vineyards. Allowing the green manure to flowering for a prolonged period instead of mowing it early, as traditionally done by the growers, can favour a higher presence and abundance of beneficial arthropods while not influenced phytophagous densities. The timing of mowing must be accurate programmed to avoid the dispersal on leafhopper vectors. Investigations on the phenology of E. vulnerata suggest that the non-native pest can develop three generations per years in the new invaded area, and the presence of rural buildings and alternative hosts at vineyard margins favoured it overwintering and spreading into the vineyards. The impact of natural enemies on pest populations appeared to be limited to egg parasitism by Hymenoptera Mymaridae. A new approach aimed at promoting the impact of egg parasitoids and predators requires to be developed. In this context, the effectiveness of two generalist predators in controlling the leafhopper populations were tested both in laboratory and field conditions. Promising results obtained in laboratory trials suggested to release predators in vineyard, but their release did not give satisfactory results, except in only one trial in which the release of Orius majusculus significantly reduced the leafhopper numbers, suggesting to implement release techniques, densities and timing to improve the impact of anthocorids on grape leafhoppers. The design of modern viticultural systems should integrate management practices with lower environmental impact with ecological compensation measures to increase and enhance biodiversity in the vineyard agro-ecosystems. Habitat management practices can contribute to enhance biodiversity but in extremely simplified context, the only presence of temporary vegetation appears not enough to create a more pest-stable agro-ecosystem. Since the deployment of pesticides can favouring the insurgence of pest outbreaks and limited the successful implementation of biological control, more sustainable biological control strategies should be implemented to control pest population densities, such as for E. vulnerata in vineyards of North-eastern Italy.
I vigneti italiani sono spesso monocolture su larga scala caratterizzate da un elevato impiego di agrofarmaci e dalla riduzione delle infrastrutture ecologiche. In questi agro-ecosistemi altamente disturbati e semplificati, l'insorgenza di specie non autoctone può verificarsi più facilmente. In questo contesto, la conservazione degli habitat semi-naturali e l'adozione di pratiche di gestione più sostenibili risultano di particolare importanza. Nel presente lavoro, è stata valutata l'influenza delle pratiche di gestione del vigneto e della complessità del paesaggio sulla presenza di tre diverse specie di cicaline. I risultati hanno dimostrato che i fattori investigati possono influenzare le densità di popolazione di tali fitofagi, nonché il loro controllo naturale. Di essi si dovrebbe pertanto tenere considerazione nella pianificazione di strategie di controllo su larga scala. Inoltre, è stato valutato l’effetto sulla presenza sia di fitofagi che artropodi utili di alcune pratiche di manipolazione dell’habitat, come la gestione della vegetazione spontanea presente nell’interfilare e la pratica del sovescio, in quanto tali pratiche possono rivelarsi utili strategie per favorire la presenza di nemici naturali. La presenza di vegetazione non sfalciata ha favorito l'abbondanza di nemici naturali ma anche di alcuni fitofagi, soprattutto in vigneti a conduzione biologica. L’adozione di questa pratica dovrebbe essere attentamente valutata quando la presenza di Scaphoideus titanus è accertata nel vigneto, in quanto la presenza di vegetazione non falciata può rendere più difficile il controllo delle popolazioni della cicalina, specialmente nei vigneti biologici. Consentire alle specie vegetali presenti nel miscuglio da sovescio di fiorire per un periodo più prolungato rispetto a quanto tradizionalmente adottato dai viticoltori, può favorire una maggiore presenza e abbondanza di artropodi utili. L’epoca di sfalcio dovrebbe tuttavia essere programmata con precisione per evitare l’eventuale dispersione di fitofagi sulla vite. Le indagini sulla fenologia di Erasmoneura vulnerata suggeriscono che tale specie alloctona può compiere tre generazioni annuali nell’areale in introduzione. Inoltre, la presenza di edifici rurali e di ospiti alternativi in prossimità dei vigneti può favorirne lo svernamento e la dispersione. L'impatto dei nemici naturali sulle popolazioni della cicalina sembra attualmente riguardare unicamente la parassitizzazione delle uova. In questo contesto, l’adozione di un nuovo approccio volto a promuovere l'impatto dei parassitoidi oofagi e dei predatori risulta di fondamentale importanza. A tale scopo, è stata valutata l'efficacia di due predatori generalisti nel controllo della cicalina. I risultati promettenti ottenuti in laboratorio hanno suggerito il rilascio dei predatori anche in un vigneto altamente infestato. Tuttavia, solo in una prova il rilascio dell’antocoride Orius majusculus ha significativamente ridotto la densità della cicalina, suggerendo di implementare tecniche di rilascio, densità e tempi al fine di migliorare l'impatto di tale predatore nel controllo del fitofago. La progettazione di moderni sistemi viticoli dovrebbe integrare pratiche di gestione a minore impatto ambientale con misure di compensazione ecologica atte ad aumentare e migliorare la biodiversità all’interno degli agro-ecosistemi viticoli. Le pratiche di gestione dell'habitat possono contribuire a tale scopo, ma in un contesto estremamente semplificato, la sola presenza di vegetazione temporanea sembrerebbe non bastare a creare un ecosistema più stabile. Poiché l’impiego di pesticidi può favorire esplosioni demografiche di fitofagi e limitare l'attuazione di strategie di controllo biologico, è necessario individuare strategie più sostenibili al fine di contenere l’impatto dei fitofagi, come osservato per E. vulnerata nei vigneti dell'Italia nord-orientale.

To combat excessive vine vigor, many vintners have employed intensive cover cropping techniques. While cover crops provide a multitude of benefits to the farming system, they can compete for nutrients and water. The seemingly ubiquitous adoption of cover crops in the Eastern United States has led to vines and grape musts which are deficient in nitrogen (N). A must that is deficient in yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) can lead to the production of off aromas and stuck or sluggish fermentations. It has also been suggested that musts with limited amino nitrogen sources can result in wines with less fruity aromas than those with a higher starting amino acid content. Varying rates of calcium nitrate were applied to the soil at bloom and foliar urea was sprayed at a Sauvignon blanc and Petit Manseng (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard. Perennial White and Crimson clover as well as foliar urea applications at véraison were utilized at a Vidal blanc (Vitis spp.) site. Foliar urea was effective at significantly increasing YANs in all experiments with some year to year variation in efficacy. Foliar urea applications slightly favored the production of ammonia over primary amino nitrogen. While most of the measured amino acids in fruit increased in concentration with the application of either soil or foliar N, foliar applications were more effective at increasing fruit amino acids. Of the amino acids measured, arginine and glutamine were the most increased by foliar urea applications, whereas proline was relatively unaffected. The use of clover as a perennial under-vine cover crop did not increase berry YAN. The application of foliar urea sprays may present an effective means by which vintners can easily increase must YANs and amino acid contents.
Master of Science in Life Sciences

Recent histories of cultural encounters in colonial America emphasize how interactions between native Americans and Europeans altered both cultures. In order to facilitate such an investigation, scholars employ ethno history-a multidisciplinary approach that uses methods and sources from anthropology, archeology, and history. While it remains the dominant methodology for studying cultural encounters, others are critical of such studies pointing to the dangers of using European sources in order to understand native American culture. Some literary scholars argue that the only information that historians can gain from European texts and images are representations of the indigenous population. Using cultural encounters between English missionaries and Wampanoag Indians on Martha's Vineyard between 1642 and 1727 as my case study, I combine these seemingly incompatible methodologies to analyze relations in three cultural arenas: religion, gender, and literacy. I argue that through their resistance to English power, the Indians were able to continually adjust to life in their ever-changing new world. Even though their culture changed dramatically during this period, there were also able to resist full acculturation by maintaining a distinct Wampanoag identity.
Department of History

This study is aimed at investigating the feasibility of using the radiometric technique as an alternative to traditional methods for determining soil physico-chemical parameters which are important for terroir characterization. In-situ and ex-situ radiometric analyses of soil from three vineyard blocks of Simonsig Wine Estate in the Stellenbosch district (Western Cape, South Africa) were studied. A mobile MEDUSA gamma-ray detection system comprising a CsI(Na) crystal (length 15 cm, diameter 7 cm) and associated electronics mounted on a portable trolley were used for partial terroir characterisation. Thereafter activity concentrations of 40K, 232Th series and 238U series in soil (top ~30 cm) from the measured MEDUSA spectra (0 – 3 MeV) were extracted by means of the full-spectrum analysis (FSA) method. A lead-shielded HPGe detector was used for analyzing collected soil samples while soil physico-chemical parameters were analysed using standard methods at research and commercial laboratories.

Birds are a major pest in vineyards both in New Zealand and overseas. There is a need for new behavioural research on birds' foraging habits and feeding preferences in vineyards, as much of the literature to date is anecdotal. Research on cues to birds' feeding will provide a basis on which new deterrent and control strategies can be devised. Spatial-and temporal bird damage in a small vineyard block was mapped to find if damage was correlated with grape maturity and environmental factors. Vineyard and field observations of bird behaviour using video technology combined with preference experiments aimed to establish the relative roles of grape sugar concentration and colour in avian selection. Proximity of vineyards to bird roosts affects damage levels, regardless of differing maturity between locations. The rate of damage tends to increase exponentially once grape maturity has passed a threshold of 13 °Brix. Bunches positioned closest to the ground receive more damage if blackbirds or song thrushes are the predominant pests. Both sugar concentration and grape colour were found to affect birds' feeding preference, but the importance of the two factors varied between years. Black and green grape varieties were differentially preferred by blackbirds (Turdus merula) and song thrushes (Turdus philomelos) while silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) appeared to have no strong colour preference. It was apparent that there were other, not assessed, grape factors that also affect selection. In small unprotected vineyards that are adjacent to bird roosts the entire grape crop can be taken by bird pests. Besides removing the roosts, which can be beneficial shelterbelts in regions exposed to high winds, growers currently may have no alternative other than to use exclusion netting to keep crops intact. The differential preferences between bird species for variety characteristics suggest that any new deterrents and other strategies to deflect birds from grape crops may need to be species-specific.

The Vintnerâ s House is a Residence and Vineyard nestled between well-known wine regions on the central coast of California. It is a workerâ s house; for the cultivator, the grower, and the nurturer of the vines. The vineyard is set on terraces down a hill to give grapes the sunlight and drainage they desire. These south facing terraces allow the vines to receive full sunlight throughout the growing season. Drainage through the vineyard encourages the roots to grow deep into the soil, as a well-established root system will yield a better quality grape. As the terraces wrap around the site, they intersect and flow into the residence. The terraces help to organize and arrange the house as it steps up the hill alongside the vineyard. The house is small and simple, but appears much larger with the adjacent wine facilities. The main living space for the residence is on the lower level with the living room, kitchen, and dining areas all clustered together looking out towards the ocean. Upstairs is the bedroom, which overlooks the two-story living room much like the vineyard terraces overlook each other. The house accepts its role as the vineyardâ s accomplice. Without the vineyard, the Vintnerâ s House would not grow out of the hillside.
Master of Architecture

While I have been at the University of Arizona, the three areas of study I have been most involved in are Architecture, Communication, and Religion. I started attending church for the first time my freshman year at Vineyard City Church in Tucson. As I attended the church, I began to see how the space itself was a large factor not only in the functionality of the church, but in what is communicated about religion, God and the mission of the church itself. It also plays a big role in the structure of the services, activities, and the relationship to the greater Tucson community. Pastor Gary Stokes took over Vineyard City Church about six years ago, when it had a dwindling congregation of about eighteen people. Under new administration, the church stabilized and became highly diverse. It began to grow as a result. When their current home, the former YMCA building was sold and demolished, they were forced to become a load in-load out church based out of mobile minis during the week and Blenman Elementary School on Sunday mornings. As the church grows to a congregation of about 120, it is clear that the building is no longer meeting several functional, relational, and expressional goals. As ministries launch, there is no anchor for the congregation and very little visibility in the community. Since a church building is essentially a tool to minister to the community, a permanent space would allow them to better fulfill their mission statement of showing Jesus' love in word AND deed. The end product of my capstone research and development will be a general master plan and complete building design for Vineyard City Church. The project will ultimately be a balance of religious demonstration, functional necessity, aesthetic attractiveness, social facilitation, and financial consideration so the design is attractive and attainable.

Vineyards are often grown in semi-arid climates, such as California’s central valley, where water resources can be limited. Summer weather conditions result in high water use by these plants. For wine grapes, a high-value commodity, there are known benefits to fruit quality in irrigating grapevines with slightly below optimum for the plant. Growers would like to be able to precisely irrigate without overusing water or overstressing the vines. This calls for improving ways to monitor vineyard water use by estimating the combined soil evaporation and plant transpiration known as evapotranspiration (ET). A computer model developed by the USDA called the Two-Source Energy Balance model (TSEB) can estimate ET through satellite or aircraft measurements of land surface temperature. The model has been successful for simple, uniform vegetation such as maize, soybeans, and grasslands. The ability of TSEB to estimate vineyard ET has been tested through a field experiment called the Grape Remote sensing, Atmospheric Profile,& Evapotranspiration eXperiment or GRAPEX. Water is primarily transported away from the ground and plants by turbulent swirls in the wind. Models such as TSEB assume these swirls occur in a consistent manner over a few minutes to hours. Yet, interactions between the wind, the complex vineyard canopy, and heating near the ground can cause them to be episodic or intermittent. There are questions of if and how intermittent water vapor transport might happen in vineyards, and whether the TSEB model will still estimate ET well in such cases. In this study wind, humidity, air temperature, and surface temperatures are used to examine when intermittent behavior occurs, how it affects ET from the vineyard canopy, and how TSEB performs for intermittent versus more steady conditions. Results show that intermittent turbulence significantly alters the microclimate in the vineyard canopy compared to more ideal, steady behavior. The TSEB model was successful but showed reduced ability to estimate ET during times of intermittent behavior. The knowledge gained is an important step toward using TSEB as a powerful tool for sustainable water management, not only in vineyards, but other cash crops with complicated canopies such as orchards, as well as natural ecosystems.

High frequency three-dimensional wind and distributed temperature measurements were taken over a ~7˚ vineyard slope in the Southern Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada, during three weeks in July 2016. Approximately 17% of the nighttime is characterised by drainage flow along the local slope. Drainage conditions are characterised by inverted temperatures beginning around z/hc = 0.39, where z is the height above ground level (AGL) and hc is the canopy height (~2.3 m AGL), and near-surface lapses. A jet maximum is observed around z/hc = 1.65, while a weak inflection point is observed near the canopy top, suggesting influence from both drainage layer and canopy layer dynamics on the turbulent field. The greatest observed fluxes in both the stream-wise momentum flux and the sensible heat flux are near the top of the canopy, consistent with the location of the inflection point. Calculated two-point length scales from distributed temperature measurements reveal that turbulent structures are smallest near the canopy top. Conditional sampling of the 3-D ultrasonic wind components and acoustic temperature indicate that a large fraction of canopy layer transport is driven by canopy-top turbulence, with sweeps dominating over ejections, particularly at z/hc = 0.65. Results presented here are important both for nighttime vineyard management techniques and for further understanding on particle dispersion.
Arts, Faculty of
Geography, Department of
Graduate

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
Full text to be digitised and attached to bibliographic record.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Traditionally, wine has been produced by the spontaneous fermentation of grape juice by yeast that originate from the grapes and winery equipment. Research has shown that the population composition and dynamics of these yeasts and other microorganisms are very complex. Kloeckera and its anamorph, Hanseniaspora, dominate the yeast population found on the surfaces of grapes, although prevailing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains complete the fermentation process. The yeast S. cerevisiae is an important factor contributing to the quality of wines and, therefore, the improvement of wine yeasts receives considerable attention worldwide. Apart from classical yeast breeding studies, genetic engineering and recombinant DNA techniques are increasingly being used in strain development research programmes. These techniques might enable the wine yeasts to produce heterologous enzymes that degrade polysaccharides, convert malic acid to lactic acid, increase glycerol production, release roam and flavour compounds, secrete antimicrobial peptides, etc. The release of recombinant yeast strains (genetically modified organisms, GMOs) is subject to statutory approval. Therefore, it is important to answer several questions prior to the use of such genetically improved yeast in the commercial production of wine. For example, will recombinant yeast strains be able to multiply and spread in nature, and will this GMO be able to out-compete the natural microflora because of its newly acquired genetic traits. Since existing commercial wine yeasts are used in the abovementioned strain development research, it is essential to determine already at this early stage to what extent these wine yeast strains survive and spread in nature and to what extent they influence the fermentations of the following vintages. This study is divided into two sections. The aim of the first section is to sample a representative number of yeast strains from various vineyards in different climatological areas, mainly in the Western Cape, South Africa. These yeast strains were identified mainly by electrophoretic karyotyping (contour-clamped homogenous electric field electrophoresis; CHEF). The second part of the study summarises the results obtained when Fourier transform infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was used to differentiate commercial wine yeast strains. Sets of data, containing the spectra of the mostly used commercial wine yeast strains, were constructed and used as a reference library. The spectra of the isolated yeast strains were then compared to the reference dataset with specific FT-NIR computer software using mathematical calculations. In conclusion, the two methods used in conjunction with one another proved that the commercial wine yeast strains do not easily disperse from the cellar into the vineyard. The commercial wine yeast strains are also more likely to be found near the cellar and the places where the grape skins are dumped. Therefore, should a recombinant yeast strain be used in winemaking, it would not be dispersed into the vineyard. It therefore appears that the commercial use of genetically improved yeast does not pose a high risk in terms of dominance of the indigenous microbial population in the environment
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wyn is tradisioneel gemaak deur die natuurlike gisting van druiwesap deur giste wat op die druiwe en keldertoerusting voorkom. Navorsing het getoon dat die samestelling en dinamika van die gispopulasie en ander mikro-organismes baie kompleks is. Kloeckera en sy anamorf, Hanseniaspora, domineer die inheemse gispopulasie op druiwedoppe, terwyl Saccharomyces cerevisiae in baie klein getalle op die druiwedoppe voorkom, maar later die fermentasie oorheers en uiteindelik voltooi. Die gis S. cerevisiae speel 'n baie belangrike rol in die kwaliteit van wyn en daarom geniet die verbetering van wyngiste wêreldwyd besondere aandag. Benewens die klassieke gistelingstudies, word genetiese manipuleringstegnieke toenemnd in navorsingsprojekte gebruik wat daarop gefokus is om wyngisrasse te verbeter. Hierdie tegnieke mag die giste in staat stelom heteroloë ensieme te produseer wat polisakkariedes afbreek, appelmelksuur afbreek, gliserolproduksie verhoog, smaak- en geurkomponente vrystel, antimikrobiese peptiede afskei, ens. Voordat sulke geneties gemanipuleerde giste het egter in kommersiële wynproduksie gebruik sal kan word, is daar heelwat wetlike vereistes waaraan voldoen sal moet word en vrae wat vooraf beantwoord sal moet word. Byvoorbeeld, sal die rekombinante giste in staat wees om vinniger te vermeerder as gevolg van die nuwe genetiese eienskappe en sodoende die natuurlike populasies onderdruk? Omdat kommersiële wyngiste in bogenoemde gisverbeteringprogramme gebruik word, is dit noodsaaklik om nou reeds die verspreiding van die kommersiële giste te monitor en te bepaal hoe geredelik hulle in die natuur kan versprei en oorleef, en hoe hulle wynfermentasies van die daaropvolgende jare beïnvloed. Die studie is in twee gedeeltes verdeel. Die doel van die eerste gedeelte was om 'n verteenwoordigende aantal gisrasse uit die wingerde van 'n aantal wynplase in verskillende klimaatstreke te isoleer, spesifiek in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Die gisrasse was grotendeels deur elektroforetiese kariotipering (kontoer-geklampte homogene elektriese veld; CHEF) geïdentifiseer. Die tweede deel van die navorsing was gefokus op die onderskeiding tussen die mees gebruikte kommersiële wyngiste met 'Fourier-Transform Near Infrared' (FTNIR) spektroskopie. Eerstens is 'n stel data, bestaande uit die spektrum data oor die kommersiële wyngiste opgestel om as 'n verwysingsbiblioteek te dien. Tweedens is die spektrum van data oor die geïsoleerde giste onder presies dieselfde toestande met die verwysingsbiblioteek vergelyk. Dié tegniek maak dit moontlik om tussen die kommersiële wyngiste te onderskei. As die twee metodes saam gebruik word vir identifikasie, kan die afleiding gemaak word dat kommersiële wyngiste nie maklik vanaf die kelder na die wingerd versprei nie. Die kommersiële wyngiste is ook meestal naby die kelder en die dopstortingsterreine gevind. Sou 'n rekombinante gisras dus gebruik word om wyn te maak, sal dit nie maklik versprei nie. Die kommersiële gebruik van geneties gemanipuleerde wyngiste behoort dus nie In groot omgewingsrisiko in te hou nie.

Mestrado em Engenharia do Ambiente
Na viticultura, o tratamento com fungicidas à base de cobre resulta muitas vezes em elevados teores de cobre nos solos. Sabendo que o cobre em determinadas concentrações se pode assumir como um composto tóxico, a sua acumulação nos solos pode ter impactos nos organismos terrestres, comprometendo as funções ecossistémicas asseguradas pelo solo. Além disso, considerando que as áreas de vinha sofrem frequentemente processos de erosão acentuados, o seu transporte e entrada em sistemas aquáticos adjacentes pode igualmente impactar o biota aquático. Na tentativa de melhorar as propriedades do solo e garantir uma produção agrícola efetiva, têm sido propostas várias medidas, nomeadamente o uso de biochar. O biochar é um carvão obtido através do processo de pirólise que é utilizado na remediação de solos devido aos seus benefícios na qualidade do solo. Com o objetivo de avaliar as concentrações de cobre no solo de uma vinha e compreender o papel do biochar na qualidade do solo e na redução do transporte de sedimentos ricos em cobre através do escoamento superficial, este trabalho testou a utilização de dois tratamentos de biochar, com aplicações distintas (5 kg/m2 e 10 kg/m2) e a sua influência nas propriedades do solo, numa vinha na região demarcada da Bairrada. Pela comparação dos dois tratamentos de biochar, verificou-se que o tratamento com menor taxa de aplicação de biochar melhorou a qualidade do solo em geral e a sua capacidade de infiltração. Em particular, neste tratamento observou-se uma redução de 69% no transporte de sedimentos e de 76% no transporte de cobre particulado por escoamento superficial. O efeito do biochar na imobilização do cobre foi evidenciado sobretudo após a aplicação de cobre, observando um comportamento visivelmente diferente entre os tratamentos com e sem adição de biochar. A aplicação de biochar em baixas concentrações mostrou ser efetiva na redução da exportação de sedimentos e consequentemente na exportação de cobre. Não obstante, será importante compreender as implicações que o cobre continuará a exercer nos organismos terrestres e na sua potencial lixiviação para águas subterrâneas.
In viticulture, treatment with copper-based fungicides often results in high levels of copper in vineyard soils. Knowing that copper in certain concentrations can be assumed as a toxic compound, its accumulation in soils can have impacts on terrestrial organisms, compromising the ecosystem functions assured by the soil. In addition, considering that vineyards often suffer from severe erosion processes, copper transport and input into adjacent aquatic systems may also impact the aquatic biota. To improve soil properties and ensure effective agricultural production, several measures have been proposed, such as the use of biochar. Biochar is a coal obtained through the pyrolysis process that is used in soil remediation due to its benefits in soil quality. In order to assess de concentration of copper in a vineyard soil and understand the role of biochar in soil quality and in reducing the transport of copper enriched sediments through surface runoff, this work tested the use of two biochar treatments with different applications (5 kg/m2 and 10 kg/m2) and its influence on soil properties in a vineyard located in the demarcated region of Bairrada. By comparing the two biochar treatments, it was verified that the treatment with lower application rate of biochar improved the soil quality in general and its infiltration capacity. A reduction of 69% in sediment transport and a 76% reduction in the transport of particulate copper from surface runoff was observed in this treatment. The effect of biochar on the immobilization of copper was particularly evident after the application of copper, with a noticeably different behaviour between the treatments with and without addition of biochar. The application of biochar in low rates has shown to be effective in the reduction of the export of sediments and consequently in the export of copper. Nonetheless, it is important to understand the implications that copper will continue to exert on terrestrial organisms and its potential leaching into groundwater.

Mestrado em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de Agronomia
In order to study species diversity and population interactions, vineyard, weed vegetation and mite population were surveyed. This research was carried monthly from April to December 2004, in two vineyards located in the Setúbal region, with different soils and climate conditions. A total of 167 weed taxa were identified belonging to 42 botanical families. Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae showed the greatest number of species. Considering the species with a relative higher frequency, the more abundant were Calendula arvensis, Convolvulus arvensis, Cynodon dactylon, Lavatera cretica and Parietaria judaica, in the vineyard of Quinta de Camarate, and Convolvulus arvensis, Cynodon dactylon and Panicum repens, in Quinta do Anjo. In vines 12 mite species were identified, the dominants were the phytophagous Calepitrimerus vitis and the predators Typhlodromus pyri, Typhlodromus phialatus and Homeopronematus anconai. In ground cover were identified 32 mite species, tetranychids and phytoseiids were the predominant mites, especially Tetranychus cinnabarinus, the most polyphagous species, detected in 37 weeds, and Typhlodromus pyri, the predominant phytoseiid, found in vines and cover vegetation, being present in 22 weeds. From acarological point of view, weeds can be considered useful in vineyards, safeguarding Tetranychus urticae hosts and that there may be competition to the crop.

Thesis: Ph. D., Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2015.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-92).
Observations, theoretical models, and a numerical model (ADCIRC) are used to investigate the effects of tides, waves, bay bathymetry, and changing inlet geometry on the hydrodynamics of the multiple-inlet Katama system, Martha's Vineyard, MA. Momentum fluxes from breaking waves drive water into the inlet, nearly stopping the 2 m/s ebb currents during a hurricane. The evolving morphology of Katama Inlet has a dominant effect on tidal distortion and bay circulation. As Katama inlet lengthened, narrowed, and shoaled between 2011 and 2014, the relative effects of friction (observed and simulated) increased greatly, resulting in reduced circulation energy, an increase in the M6 tidal constituent, and changes in velocity asymmetries that are consistent with an evolution from flood to ebb dominance. The effects of changing inlet parameters (e.g., inlet geometry, bay bathymetry, friction, tidal forcing) are quantified via a lumped element model that accounts for the presence of a shallow flood shoal that limits flow from the ocean into the bay. As the difference in depth between inlet and flood shoal increases, the amplitude and phase of the incoming tide are increasingly modified from predictions without a flood shoal, and flows into the bay are further hindered.
by Mara S. M. Orescanin.
Ph. D.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the past it was very difficult to visualise the extent and distribution of variability in growth vigour within vineyards. The advancement of remote sensing technology has changed this however, establishing new methods to assess and manage variability. Even though the causes and effects of within-vineyard variability in growth vigour are complex, new technologies offer better ways of monitoring, researching and managing these factors. In addition to the possible benefits of aerial or satellite remote sensing, new methods of mapping soil spatial variability as well as advances in georeferencing technologies supply precision tools to both researchers and producers. The scientific advancement of the technology, however, is currently the most important aspect needed. This is crucial to answer and explore fundamental questions regarding the use of the technology and the interpretation of results within the framework of the plant's observed reaction. Only then can the possible applications in vineyard management be optimised to address the management problems of extensive within-vineyard variation in growth vigour. The choice will always be to use the technology to manage the observed variability in order to limit the negative impacts of a heterogeneous harvest, or to identify the variability and its causes for the implementation of management practices aimed at a more homogenous vineyard and harvest. Whatever the case, extensive research is needed to provide tight correlations between information gathered with new technologies to assess variability and plant status, such as multi- and hyperspectral analysis, and ground-truthed results in the vineyard. Only then will it become evident which methods and analyses would be useful in the drive towards in-depth analysis and management of vineyards within the concept of precision viticulture and its derived advantages. With this in mind, the aim of this study was to establish an experimental model to use remote sensing technologies to identify and classify within vineyard variability with a subsequent analysis of the causes of variability and the effects on the plants. The targeted experimental model was a vineyard with highly heterogeneous above-ground growth. An aerial photograph of the vineyard was studied and manipulated to yield image pixel values used to quantify the degree of variability for different plots, which were chosen according to different plot layouts. Soil conditions were assessed on both a global and plot level, with extremely high pH and low resistance values in the soil in combination with erratic soil preparation practices found to be the main cause of variability. Soil physicochemical condition was also assessed during a soil profile pit study. Significant differences were found between several soil-related parameters measured for the higher and lower vigour levels and a strong correlation was also found between the resistance of a saturated soil paste and the image pixel values. Vegetative measurements also yielded highly significant differences between the vigour levels and confirmed the suitability of the vineyard to study within-vineyard variability. Some of these measurements were also strongly correlated with soil conditions as well as image pixel values. Trunk circumference proved to be an excellent measure for the level of variability, being linked strongly to canopy characteristics, soil conditions as well as the image pixel values. Leaf water potential measurements also yielded significant differences between the vigour levels. Harvest data and wine analyses showed the effect that vigour differences can have on grape composition and wine quality, even though the differences found here were much less than expected. Even though no clear preference was shown between the wines made from the different vigour levels, the lower vigour wine was considered fruitier. The overall quality of both experimental wines was however very high, considering that experimental winemaking techniques has been used. Hyperspectral measurements also confirmed differences between the vigour levels through a narrow-band NOVI (normalised difference vegetation index). It was also possible to show differences in certain biochemical compounds between the vigour levels on both a leaf and canopy level. Wavelength regions corresponding to carotenoid, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b showed different spectral reactions in the leaves of more stressed (lower vigour) canopies, indicating possibilities for further studies. This study and its results is the first of its kind in the South African wine industry and paves the way for more focussed and in-depth analyses of the use of specifically multiand hyperspectral data to accurately assess within-vineyard vigour variability and the management thereof to yield optimum quality grapes for a specific wine target. Moreover, the approach adopted in this study is also echoed in other international research programs in prominent wine countries. The availability of scientific research regarding the optimal use and limitations of these technologies has the potential to revolutionise production management practices in the next few years in the viticultural industry.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die verlede was dit baie moeilik om die omvang en verspreiding van groeikragvariasie binne 'n wingerd te visualiseer. Die vordering gemaak op die gebied van afstandswaarneming-tegnologie het egter nuwe metodes beskikbaar gestel waardeur hierdie variasie in wingerde gemonitor en bestuur kan word. Selfs al is die oorsake en invloede van binne-wingerd-groeikragvariasie kompleks, verskaf nuwe tegnologieë verbeterde metodes om hierdie variasie te monitor, te bestuur en na te vors. Saam met die moontlike voordele wat lugfoto's en satelliet-afstandswaarneming teweegbring, verskaf nuwe metodes om ruimtelike variasie in grondfaktore te karteer, asook vordering in geoverwysingstegnologie, presisiehulpmiddels aan produsente én navorsers. Die wetenskaplike vordering van dié tegnologie is tans van groot belang. Die belang daarvan is om fundamentele vrae te ondersoek en te beantwoord rakende die gebruik van die tegnologie en die interpretasie van resultate binne die raamwerk van die waargeneemde reaksie in die plant. Dit sal die weg baan vir optimale toepassing van die tegnologie in wingerdbestuur om sodoende die bestuursprobleme wat deur binne-wingerdgroeikragvariasie teweeggebring word, aan te spreek. Die voorkeurkeuse is om dié tegnologie aan te wend om hierdie variasie te bestuur sodat die negatiewe impak van In heterogene oes teengewerk kan word, of om die variasie te identifiseer vir die implementering van bestuurspraktyke gemik op die skep van 'n meer homogene wingerd en oes. Dit is noodsaaklik dat uitgebreide navorsing gedoen word om noue verwantskappe vas te stel tussen inligting wat ingewin is met behulp van nuwe tegnologieë wat die variasie in plantstatus monitor, soos multi- en hiperspektrale analise, en inligting wat op grondvlak ingewin is. Hieruit sal dit duidelik wees watter metodes en analises die doeltreffendste is vir in-diepte analises en die bestuur van wingerde binne die konsep van presisie-wingerdkunde. Met inagneming van hierdie aspekte, was die doel van hierdie studie om 'n eksperimentele model daar te stel waardeur afstandswaarneming-tegnologie gebruik kan word om variasie binne wingerde te identifiseer en te klassifiseer deur analises van die oorsake van hierdie variasie en invloede op die plant. Die geteikende eksperimentele model was 'n wingerd met hoogs heterogene bogrondse groei. 'n Lugfoto van die wingerd is bestudeer en gemanipuleer om pixelwaardes te verskaf wat die graad van variasie vir verskillende eksperimentele plotte, wat aan die hand van verskillende plotuitlegte gekies is, te kwantifiseer. Grondtoestande is bestudeer op 'n globale én plotvlak, met uiters hoë pH en lae weerstande in kombinasie met verkeerde grondvoorbereidingspraktyke, wat geïdentifiseer is as die hoofoorsake vir die hoë vlakke van variasie. Grondfisiese en -chemiese toestand is ook tydens profielgatstudies bestudeer. Betekenisvolle verskille is gevind tussen verskeie grondverwante parameters gemeet vir plotte met onderskeidelik laer en hoër groeikrag, en 'n sterk verwantskap is gevind tussen grondweerstand en pixelwaardes, soos vanaf die lugfoto bepaal. Vegetatiewe metings het ook betekenisvolle verskille tussen die hoër en laer groeikragvlakke opgelewer, wat die geskiktheid van die wingerd vir die studie van binnewingerdvariasie in groeikrag bevestig het. Van hierdie metings was ook nou verwant aan grondtoestande, asook beeldpixelwaardes. Stamomtrek was 'n uitstekende maatstaf vir die vlakke van variasie, aangesien dit nou verwant was aan lowertoestande, grondtoestande, asook beeldpixelwaardes. Blaarwaterpotensiaal-metings het ook betekenisvolle verskille tussen die hoër en laer groeikragvlakke opgelewer. Oesdata en wynanalise het die uitwerking van groekragverskille op druifsamestelling en wynkwaliteit uitgewys, selfs al was die verskille wat gevind is minder as wat verwag is. Hoewel geen duidelike voorkeur tussen die wyne afkomstig van verskillende groeikragvlakke uitgewys kon word nie, was die wyn wat van die laer-groeikrag stokke gemaak was, meer vrugtig. Die algemene kwaliteit van beide wyne was egter baie hoog as in ag geneem word dat eksperimentele wynmaakprosedures gevolg is. Hiperspektrale metings het ook die verskille tussen groeikragvlakke bevestig deur 'n nou-bandwydte NDVI ("normalised difference vegetation index"). Dit was ook moontlik om verskille in sekere biochemiese komponente tussen die groeikragvlakke op 'n blaar- én lowervlak uit te wys. Golflengte-areas ooreenstemmend met karotenoïed, chlorofil a en chlorofil b het verskillende spektrale reaksies in die blare met hoër stresvlak (laer groeikrag) lowers ten toon gestel. Dit het moontlikhede vir verdere navorsing uitgewys. Hierdie studie en die resultate wat verkry is, is die eerste van sy soort in die Suid- Afrikaanse wynbedryf. Dit baan die weg vir meer gefokusde en in-diepte analise van die gebruik van spesifiek multispektrale en hiperspektrale data om binne-wingerdgroekragvariasie akkuraat te monitor en te bestuur met die oog op optimum wynkwaliteit vir 'n spesifieke produkdoelwit. Die aanslag van hierdie navorsing is ook sigbaar in ander prominente wynproduserende lande. Beskikbaarheid van wetenskaplike navorsing rakende die optimale gebruik en tekortkominge van hierdie tegnologieë het die potensiaal om produksiebestuurspraktyke in die wingerdbedryf in die komende jare te revolusionaliseer.

Under-trellis cover crops have become more prevalent in East Coast grape growing regions through either intentional planting or adoption of native vegetation, to minimize the potential for erosion and to help regulate grapevine size and vigor. These companion crops, however, have sometimes resulted in increased competition for soil nitrogen, leading to decreased vine nitrogen status and berry yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different nitrogen fertilization methods applied at varying doses and different times, on vine and berry nitrogen parameters of cover cropped grapevines. The research described herein involved Sauvignon blanc, Merlot, and Petit Manseng grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) subjected to different sets of nitrogen treatments, and was primarily conducted over two years. There were very few differences in pruning weights, canopy architecture, components of yield, and primary fruit chemistry amongst nitrogen treatments. Sauvignon blanc petiole nitrogen concentration, season-long chlorophyll content index (CCI) values, and berry YAN were most affected by the highest rate of soil nitrogen treatment (60 kg N/ha total split between two calcium nitrate applications at bloom and six weeks post bloom) and foliar fertilization (40 kg N/ha split over seven to nine urea applications); however, the foliar fertilization was most effective at increasing the concentration of certain individual amino acids. Petit Manseng berry YAN at harvest was increased in response to post-véraison foliar applications (10 kg N/ha split between two urea applications), corresponding to an increased concentration of nine amino acids. Merlot berry YAN, petiole nitrogen concentration, and season-long CCI values were most affected by a high rate of soil nitrogen treatment (60 kg N/ha total split between two calcium nitrate applications at bloom and six weeks post bloom) and establishing clover as the under-trellis cover crop. This study identified nitrogen treatments that improved berry nitrogen concentration and content in cover cropped sites.
Master of Science

Traditional vineyard floor management in humid regions consists of mown perennial grass or mown resident vegetation in aisles. Many vineyard sites in the eastern USA have climate and soil that support excessive vine vigor and rapid growth of aisle vegetation. Frequent mowing or unmanaged aisles are not a practical option. To explore vineyard floor management options for vine vigor and weed management while maintaining soil cover, vine balance, and fruit quality in the eastern USA, seven cover crop treatments: 1) grower control mown tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.), 2) chemically mown tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), 3) little barley (Hordeum pusillum Nutt.), 4) downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), 5) oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L.), 6) spring oats (Avena sativa L.), 7) chemically mown sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench sp.) were established for the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons in a commercial Cabernet franc vineyard, planted in 2000, in southern Illinois, on an Menfro silt loam soil. In fall 2011, oilseed radish reduced the fresh weight of grapevine shoots removed with summer hedging 46% compared to the grower control. In 2012, spring oats increased the weight of grapevine shoots removed with summer hedging 160% compared to the grower control. In 2012, spring oats, and chemically mown sorghum-sudangrass produced 82% and 73%, respectively, greater pruning weights compared to grower control mown fescue, also, spring oats, downy brome, and chemically mown sorghum-sudangrass produced 54%, 48%, and 50%, respectively, greater yields compared to the grower control in 2012. Cover crop did not affect Ravaz index in 2011 or 2012. Chemically mown sorghum-sudangrass reduced total soluble solids in grape must 7% compared to the grower control in 2012. Downy brome produced the most ground cover and greatest weed control at bloom time in 2011 and 2012, and harvest time in 2011. In 2012, oilseed radish at veraison and harvest time produced 97% and 177%, respectively, more ground cover than grower control. The persistent mulch produced by little barley and downy brome followed by burndown herbicide, Rely ® (glufosinate 1 lb ai/gal) 76 fl oz/acre in August reduced their average weed cover by a range of 99% to 89% compared to all other treatments except grower control at harvest 2012. Downy brome established in vineyard aisles had the greatest potential for maintaining weed control at bloom and harvest time, while increasing yield without decreasing vine size. However, more research is needed to develop a residue management program which encourages self-reseeding of downy brome and little barley. In a season with above average rainfall, oilseed radish reduced excessively vigorous vine growth. While all treatments studied had the potential for vineyard use, downy brome and oilseed radish had the most potential to be readily incorporated into practical vineyard aisle management systems provided they are managed to produce moderate vine size, without adverse effects to yield or fruit quality, while still maintaining effective weed control.

Mestrado Vinifera EuroMaster - Instituto Superior de Agronomia
This thesis forms the basis for the realization of a personal project: producing a sustainable Brazilian wine. With the help of investors from the world of wine (European and Brazilian) to develop a fine wine (unlike table wines derived from Vitis labrusca) which combines the advanced technical itineraries, from the vineyard to the cellar. This wine will have to represent all the progress environmental terms and social, to promote effective marketing in the wine main importing countries (United States, Germany, Benelux) and on the local market. To do this, localize the best terroir of wine point of view taking into consideration sustainable human development. In a first part, after observing the economic benefits of implementing a vineyard in Brazil, the objective of this study will define the area more favorable to the type of wine to produce. This analysis will be based of meteorological data. Once the wine growing zone discovery, understand and analyze the socio-­‐economic actors in order to include this project in a process of economic and social development. In the second part, evaluation of components needed to achieve a great terroir wine through soil analysis, choice of varieties and rootstocks, the training system of the vineyard. Finally in the last part, explain the development project and business plan.

Thesis (S.M.)--Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2011.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-74).
Coastal barriers are particularly susceptible to the predicted effects of accelerated of sea-level rise and the potential for increased impacts of intense storms. Over centennial scales, barriers are maintained via overtopping during storms, causing deposition of washover fans on their landward sides. This study examines three washover fans on the south shore of Martha's Vineyard using a suite of data including vibracores, ground penetrating radar, high resolution dGPS, and LiDAR data. From these data, the volumes of the deposits were determined and range from 2.1-2.4 x 10⁴ m³. Two overwashes occurred during Hurricane Bob in 1991. The water levels produced by this storm have a return interval of ~28 years, resulting in an onshore sediment flux of 2.4-3.4 m³/m/yr. The third washover was deposited by a nor'easter in January 1997, which has a water level return interval of ~6 years, resulting in a flux of 8.5 m³/m/yr. These fluxes are smaller than the flux of sediment needed to maintain a geometrically stable barrier estimated from shoreline retreat rates, suggesting that the barrier is not in long-term equilibrium, a result supported by the thinning of the barrier over this time interval.
by Emily A. Carruthers.
S.M.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Food demands for the ever-increasing human population is increasing the pressure on the agricultural sector to produce more food. In order to satisfy these demands, farmers are turning to chemical biocides for the control of pest species to produce greater crop yields. All pesticides must be toxic or poisonous to the target species they intend to control. Unfortunately, most pesticides are toxic or poisonous to non-target organisms as well, with detrimental effects on their health. Organic farming was developed to enhance the overall health of the farm's natural soilmicrobe- plant-animal biodiversity. No synthetic fertilisers and/or pesticides are used when farming organically. Life in the soil consists of intricate food webs and interactions between the soil dwelling invertebrates. The soil-organisms are divided into three main groups, viz., Micro-organisms (e.g. protozoa, bacteria and fungi) mesofauna (nematodes, Collembola and Acari) and macro-fauna (e.g. millipedes, isopods, insects, molluscs and earthworms). The invertebrates are very susceptible to chemical contamination by chemical biocides in natural and agro-ecosystems. The soil invertebrate communities are responsible for the decomposition of organic material in soil, thereby remineralising the soil. The decomposition processes start with comminution of the large pieces of organic material by meso- and macro-fauna and ends with the micro-fauna and microbial organisms that complete these processes by returning the nutrients in an inorganic form to the soil. The aim of this study was to investigate whether, and to what extent the soil organisms are influenced by different management practices viz., organic management practices versus conventional management practices. A vineyard on the farm Plaisir de Merle, in Simondium, Western Cape was used for the present study. One half of a one hectare vineyard was managed organically and the other half conventionally. Within each vineyard block six different treatments were performed. Three of the treatments were strictly organic and the other three were strictly conventional. Four replicates of each management treatment were performed. The bait-lamina technique was used to assess the feeding activity of the soil organisms exposed to the different management treatments. In addition to the bait-lamina trials in the vineyard itself, bait-lamina tests were performed in microcosm studies with soil from the organically and conventionally managed vineyard blocks under controlled conditions. In order to assess the impact of the various pesticides that are used in the vineyards in the conventional way, on the soil fauna, standard acute toxicity tests and behavioural tests were performed on Eisenia fetida, the compost worm. The bait-lamina tests in the vineyard revealed that the moisture content of the soil plays an important role in the biological activity of soil fauna. The different management treatments did affect the biological activity of the soil fauna, but seasonal changes also proved to be one of the important factors governing biological processes in the soil. The acute toxicity tests showed that the active ingredients (mancozeb, penconazole and trifloxystrobin) of three of the pesticides that were tested in this study, had negatively affected E. fetida at their recommended application concentrations. The remaining two pesticides' active ingredients (glyphosate and N-acetyl salicylic acid) did not affect the earthworms negatively at the recommended application concentrations. The preference behavioural trials showed that E. fetida could detect and avoid contaminated substrates at the LCso-concentrations of the different pesticides. All the earthworms were influenced positively in the preference behaviour experiments. Because of certain limitations of the bait-lamina technique, it was difficult to formulate conclusions on what happens in the soil. A possible explanation for the differences in feeding activity of soil fauna could be attributed to the migration of the soil fauna to more habitable soil horizons during the dry summer conditions, when most of the pesticides are applied. The ecological relevance of the acute toxicity tests conducted need to be investigated further. It is clear that the acute toxicity tests provided important information that should be considered, but care should be taken and the necessary safety factors be determined and considered when doing risk assessment studies. The results of the preference behaviour studies showed that for certain pesticides E. fetida can be a sensitive bioindicator of acute and/or sub-acute lethal toxicity testing but this might not necessarily be the case for other pesticides. The goal of doing laboratory studies is to gain as much information to make reliable extrapolations to field situations from laboratory data. Laboratory-to-field extrapolations are very complicated because of the physico-chemical composition of soil, the unpredictable way pesticides behave within soil and the reaction of soil organisms to the soil and to the chemical biocides that are used. Further studies need to be done in order to fully understand to what extent the soil fauna were affected by the different management practices applied to the vineyard at Plaisir de Merle.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Voedsel aanvraag vir die toenemende menslike bevolking plaas groot druk op die landbou sektor om meer kos te produseer. Om aan die voedsel eise te voldoen, gebruik boere al meer chemiese biosiede om pesspesies te bestry. Alle pestisiede moet toksies of giftig wees vir die teiken organisme waarvoor dit bestem is. Ongelukkig is die meeste pestisiede ook toksies of giftig vir nie-teiken organismes, wat tot nadelige effekte op hul gesonheid kan lei. Organiese boerdery is ontwikkel om die algehele gesondheid van die plaas se natuurlike grond-mikrobe-plant-dier biodiversiteit te bevorder. Geen sintetiese bemestingstowwe en/of pestisiede mag gebruik word wanneer daar organies geboer word nie. Die lewe in die grond bestaan uit ingewikkelde voedselwebbe en interaksies tussen die grondlewende invertebrate. Die grond invertebrate word verdeel in drie hoof groepe, nl. mikro-organismes (bv. Protozoa, bakterieë en fungi) meso fauna (Nematoda, Collembole en Acari) en makrofauna (bv. Millipoda, Isopoda, Insecta, Mollusca en erdwurms). Die Invertebrata is die mees vatbaarste vir chemiese kontaminasie deur chemiese biosiedes in natuurlike en landbou ekosisteme. Die grond invertebraat gemeenskappe is verantwoordelik vir die afbreek van alle organiese materiaal in die grond en dus vir remineralisering van die grond. Die afbreekproses begin by die komminusie van groter stukke organiese materiaal deur die meso- en makrofauna en eindig met die mikrofauna en mikrobes wat die prosesse voltooi deur die nutriente terug te plaas in die vorm van anorganiese produkte in die grond. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te ondersoek of, en tot watter mate, grond organismes geraak word deur verskillende grondbestuurspraktyke, nl. Organiese grondbestuurspraktyke teenoor die konvensionele grondbestuurspraktyke. 'n Wingerd op die plaas Plaisir de Merle, in Simondium, Wes-Kaap, was gebruik vir die huidige studie. Een helfte van 'n een hektaar wingerd is organies bestuur en die ander helfte is op die konvensionele manier bestuur. Op elk van die twee wingerd blokke is ses verskillende behandelings toegepas. Drie van die behandelings was streng organies en die ander drie was streng konvensioneel van aard. Vier replikate van elke behandeling is toegepas op elk van die twee wingerdblokke. Die bait-lamina metode is gebruik om die voedingsaktiwiteit van die grond organismes te asses seer. As toevoeging tot die bait-lamina proewe in die wingerd self, is bait-lamina toetse ook in mikro-kosmosse in die laboratorium gedoen met grond afkomstig vanaf die twee wingerdblokke. Om die impak van die verskillende pestisiede op die grondorganismes te ondersoek, is standaard akute toksisteitstoestse en gedragstoetse uitgevoer met die komposerdwurm, Eisenia fetida. Die bait-lamina resultate in die wingerd het getoon dat die voginhoud van die grond die belangrikste rol speel wat die biologiese aktiwiteit van die grondorganismes beïnvloed. Die verskillende behandelings het die biologiese aktiwiteit van die grond fauna geaffekteer, maar seisoenale veranderings is ook uitgesonder as een van die bepalende faktore wat die biologiese prosesse in die grond stuur. Die akute toksisiteitstoetse het getoon dat die aktiewe bestandeie van drie van die pestisiede (mancozeb, penconazole en trifloxystrobin), E. fetida negatief beïnvloed het teen die aanbeveelde konsentrasies wat toegedien is. Die aktiewe bestandeie van die ander twee pestiede (glyphosate en N-asetiel sallisiel suur) het nie die erdwurms nadelig beïnvloed teen die aanbeveelde konsentrasies wat toegedien is nie. Die gedragsproewe het getoon dat E. fetida die LCso-konsentrasies van al die verskillende pestisiede kan waarneem en vermy. Al die erdwurms is positief beïnvloed in die gedragseksperimente met die verskillende pestisiede. Omdat die bait-laminametode sekere beperkings het, was dit moeilik om tot gevolgtrekkings te kom oor wat presies in die grond gebeur. 'n Moontlike verklaring vir die verskillende voedingsaktiwiteite van die grond fauna kan toegereken word aan die migrasie van die grondorganismes na meer leefbare grondhorisonne gedurende die droë somer toestande, wat toevallig met die spuit van die meeste pestisiede ooreenstem. Die ekologiese relevansie van die akute toksisiteitstoetse wat uitgevoer is, moet meer deeglik ondersoek word. Die belangrikheid van die akute toksisteitstoetse is duidelik en het waardevolle informasie gelewer, maar sorg moet geneem word, en die nodige veiligheids faktore moet bepaal word en in ag geneem word, wanneer riskobepalingstudies gedoen word. Die gedragsproewe het getoon dat vir sekere pestisiede E. fetida 'n sensitiewe bioindikator van akute en/of sub-akute letale toksisiteits toetse kan wees, maar nie noodwendig vir ander pestisiede nie. Die doel van laboratoriumstudies is om so veel as moontlik inligting te versamelom vertroubare ekstrapolasie te kan maak na situasies in die veld vanaf laboratorium data. Laboratorium-na-veld ekstrapolasies is dikwels baie gekompliseerd as gevolg van die fisies-chemiese samestelling van die grond, die onvoorspelbare manier waarop chemiese pestisiede met die grond reageer en die reaksie van die grondorganismes op chemiese biosiede in die grond. Verdere studies moet gedoen word om so deeglik maanlik die mate van die impak wat die verskillende bestuurspraktyke op die grond fauna het, te verstaan op Plaisir de Merle.

Problems endemic to Martha’s Vineyard’s health care system and community efforts to resolve them led to the this community study on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Such problems included Martha’s Vineyard’s sole hospital and nursing home’s declarations of bankruptcy in 1996, the fluctuation of quality of Vineyard health care organization relations with the community overall, the rate of uninsured that was two times that of Massachusetts overall, the Island’s isolation from mainland medical services, and its health care service scarcities. This ethnography focuses on utilitarian values to explain difficulties that Vineyarders experienced during their efforts to obtain health care and to improve access to health care. Efforts to promote access included the development of health care policies and the formation of mainland and local organization business networks and of local community networks (Wellever 2004:228, 229-230).

Participant observation, structured interview (n=262) and archival data were used. Structured interviews were sought from Vineyarders who expressed an interest in health care. The Martha’s Vineyard Times Supplement (2006) list of property owners and their property values enabled interviews with Vineyarders of a wide range of property assessment values. Still others who had been employed by or had volunteered for a health care organization were found though recommendation, Vineyard media, and chance encounters.

This dissertation uses content analysis of actions performed by individuals, organizations, and communities. Utilitarian values were used to explain such actions. The types of utilitarian values could be thought of as “existing” along a continuum of egoistic (individualistic) utilitarian values and collectivistic utilitarian values or along the further extremes of exploitive egoistic and altruistic collectivistic values. Though Martha’s Vineyard’s communities were diverse, Vineyarders tended to be united by their sense of community. They made efforts to protect their communities from those they believed held opposing definitions that could threaten their communities. Such threats led Vineyarders to strengthen their community ties and to form new communities. Arguably, the malleable, versatile and imprecise (Cohen 1985:18, 21) symbol, “community,” promoted Vineyarders’ social solidarity. Their belief in “community” promoted harmonious social relations because it enabled individuals to reach surface agreements (Cohen 1985:18, 109).

Traditional vineyard floor management in the eastern USA consists of mown resident vegetation in the aisle and herbicide bare driplines, promoting soil erosion and crusting, compaction, lowered water penetration, herbicide resistance, difficult weed management, increased plant parasitic nematode populations and decreased soil biodiversity for pest management. To investigate these issues, four novel vineyard floor management techniques and two N-fertilizer applications were investigated using nematode assemblages as a bioindicator of soil health. Main-plot groundcover treatments include: 1.) grower control, consisting of mown fescue (Festuca arundinacea) in the aisle with herbicide bare vine dripline, 2.) red fescue, creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) established in both the aisle and vine dripline, 3.) successional, annually planted cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), spring oats (Avena sativa L.), and sorghum-sudan grass (Sorgum x drummondii) by planting them in succession with a no-till drill throughout the year, 4.) compost treatment consisted of a 2 to 1 mix of hardwood mulch and composted winery pomace applied across both the vineyard aisle and vine dripline. Split-plot nitrogen treatments include: 1.) no nitrogen fertility applied to grapevines, 2). 20 lb. N/ac applied to grapevine dripline at budbreak, bloom and veraison. The randomized complete block design with four main-plot treatments, two split-plot treatments and five blocks was established in 2013 and 2014 in a commercial mature Norton vineyard, planted in 2003, at 2.44 x 3.66 m spacing, in southern Illinois on a Hosmer silt-loam. The canonical analysis of principle components clearly revealed that compost and successional treatments were particularly effective at shifting nematode assemblages to higher populations of cp-5 nematodes to correlate with increases in soil respiration and organic matter, thus indicating establishment of a stable soil health structure both physically and ecologically. The results of the soil health analysis panel (soil respiration, water extracted organic carbon and water extracted macro-and micro-soil elements), consistently supported the interpretation of nematode community structure analysis. In fall 2015 the compost, red fescue and successional groundcovers combined with P and K soil fertility amendments increased water extractable K (WEK) in the aisle by 85%, 59% and 71%, respectively, compared to control; they similarly increased WEK in the aisle by 46%, 59% and 71%, respectively, in summer 2016. In the dripline WEK was increased 140%, 238% and 249%, respectively, by compost, red fescue and successional treatments that received no-N-prescription, compared to the control. The application of prescription-N increased WEK by 25% and 21%, respectively, in the compost and successional treatments that had a generous mulch layer. Soil P response to groundcover treatment clearly distinguished among each treatment the impact of nutrient turnover levels with water extracted P levels: successional > red fescue > compost > control, unique to each treatment. The water extracted mineral element levels detected with the soil health analysis were one-half to one-ninth the concentration extracted with the Mehlich-III test. Red fescue tripled the population of Pratylenchus spp. (236/100cc soil) in the dripline with prescription-N fertilization compared to no-N. Red fescue and successional treatments increased Helicotylenchus spp. populations by ~657% and ~172%, respectively, compared to compost (92/100cc soil) which closely resembled control response average in the dripline across 2015 and 2016. Prescription-N reduced Longidorus spp. by 78% compared to no-N treatment (23/100cc soil) in the dripline of fall 2015. Additionally, prescription-N added to the red fescue and successional treatments reduced Xiphinema spp. populations by 57% and 92%, respectively, compared to the control (52/100cc soil). Compost and successional groundcover treatments dramatically increased grapevine yield and crop size by 38% and 30%; and 29% and 38%, respectively, compared to grower control. The prescription N-fertilizer increased yield and crop size by 13% and 17%, respectively, compared to no-N. Compost and successional also increased Ravaz index by 33% and 60%, respectively, over control without reducing vine size which indicated their future vineyard sustainability.

Mestrado Vinifera Euromaster - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL / Institut National d'Études Agronomiques, Montpellier
Horses versus machines? Who would believe nowadays a mere animal can compete with the power of human engineering. This thesis has the objective to examine the effects of modern technology in viticulture in comparison to an old fashioned way of working with draft animals such as horses. Analyses were carried out during nine months and one vintage in two different vineyards with differences in cultivation practices with horses as draft animals on mostly bare soil or tractors with an alternate natural grass cover in the wine region Palatinate, Germany. Soil textures are the same in both comparable sites. The vineyard which was cultivated with horses is referred as vineyard horse and the vineyard which is cultivated mechanically is referred as vineyard tractor. Organic matter shows higher contents in the vineyard horse in topsoil as well as in subsoil. The C/N Ratio shows no big differences. Mineral contents of soil were measured as nitrogen, phosphor, potassium and magnesium with differences in values. The vineyard tractor counts with a higher average number of clusters per vine. Differences in percentage regarding total botrytis are minimal and vineyards show a higher infestation frequency in the vineyard horse but the infestation strength within the grape is lower in this vineyard. The cultivation with horses show higher values as density level, degree in Oechsle, total extract, pH, total acidity, tartaric acid and malic acid. The analyses of nutrients in must show higher contents of macronutrients in the vineyard horse as nitrogen, phosphor, potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium. Very high differences can be found within the amounts of nitrogen. The micronutrients in must such as iron, zinc, manganese and copper resulted in very similar values. The labor in working with draft animals in vineyards is more than two times higher compared to the vineyard that is mechanized. It is necessary to get a more detailed view including more vintages and more vineyards which can be analyzed in order to come to a more scientifically sound conclusion.
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Vinifera Euromaster European Master in Viticulture and Oenology - Instituto Superior de Agronomia / EMaVE
The objective of this thesis is to study the sustainability of viticulture in the United Kingdom. Viticulture in the United Kingdom as a commercially viable proposition is a relatively recent development brought about by climate change. The conclusion of this study is that the biggest threat to the sustainability of viticulture in the United Kingdom is the same climate change that has made it possible. Possible solutions to reduce the environmental impact of viticulture in the United Kingdom are proposed and evaluated
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Mestrado Vinifera Euromaster - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL
The effect of deficit irrigation on berry composition, berry weight and yield was studied across 5 vineyards located in two regions exhibiting Mediterranean climate in California. The study used sap flow and pre-dawn leaf water potential (PDWP) to monitor the water status of the vines and trigger irrigation opportunities. Vineyard blocks were “split” and two irrigation regimens were imposed: traditional and experimental. Traditional treatment for each vineyard continued conventional methodologies used by growers at each site. Experimental sites used sap flow as the primary indication of irrigation timing while PDWP was used to confirm sap flow data. Fruit composition was monitored starting at veraison through to harvest, monitoring primary metabolites at all sites and secondary metabolites at participating sites. Variables monitored included: water applied, berry weight, tannin, total anthocyanins, yield, water deficit index, sugar concentration, pH and titratable acidity. Data from all sites was combined and correlations between all variables were determined. A regression analysis was also used to analyze the effects of the amount of water applied and water deficit index on yield components and berry composition. Simple data analysis shows the differences between water input in the traditional and experimental sites (30 – 100% water savings). Study outcomes were largely inconclusive and despite the strong correlations obtained between variables, they were often inconsistent with literature. Berry weight was found to have a moderately negative correlation with the amount of water applied and water deficit index. Tannin content was also found to have a negative relationship with the amount of water applied. Brix was found to be positively correlated with water applied and water deficit index. These inconsistent results may be due to factors such as different varieties, sites and management techniques being used across different producers. The absence of statistically robust results prevent us from drawing conclusions. Additional research is suggested to confirm this results in order to evaluate the viability of using the sap flow technique to manage deficit irrigation
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Complete vineyard floor cover cropping and root pruning (RP) were evaluated for their ability to regulate excessive vegetative growth and improve berry and wine composition of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ (Vitis vinifera L.). Treatments were: tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb.) ‘KY-31’ and ‘Elite II’, hard fescue (Festuca ovina L.) ‘Aurora Gold’, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), and an under-trellis herbicide strip combined with KY-31fescue interrows. Compared to herbicide strip/non-root pruned (NRP), Elite II fescue reduced vine pruning weight (kg/vine) 28%, individual cane weight (g) 20%, and canopy leaf layer number 25%. KY-31 fescue/RP lowered vine pruning weights 29% compared to an 8% reduction in pruning weights of vines grown in herbicide strip/NRP plots from 2005 to 2010. KY-31 fescue produced the greatest biomass and stand density. With the exception of a yield reduction in vines grown with KY-31 fescue in 2006, cover crops minimally decreased grape yield. Yearly climatic variation had a greater effect on berry weight and composition (pH, TSS, TA) than did treatments. Limited treatment differences detected in chemical compounds by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis in wines made from treatment vines in 2010 were correlated to descriptive sensory terms. Cover crop water use, as evapotranspiration, determined by mini-lysimeter (ML), ranged from 3.28 mm/d for KY-31 fescue to 1.52 mm/d for herbicide-treated plots. In 2008, root biomass of vines grown on KY-31 fescue/RP was increased at the 60 to 80 and 80 to 100 cm soil depths compared to root biomass of KY-31 fescue/NRP vines at those depths. Cover crops minimally impacted vine water potential (ΨPD, Ψmd, Ψstem) and grapevine nitrogen levels relative to the herbicide strip, indicating that the grasses were not overly competitive with grapevines. Root pruning and complete vineyard floor cover crops favorably reduced grapevine vegetative growth, although treatment effects diminished over time, possibly in response to redistribution of grapevines’ roots and climatic variation at the site.
Ph. D.

Doutoramento em Química
The sustainable viticulture of a region passes, among other aspects, for maximizing the varieties potential minimizing subsequent interventions during winemaking, which should contribute to the production of quality wines maintaining their typicity and rationalizing costs. The detailed knowledge of each Appellation specificities, namely vineyard parcel (soil type and topographical peculiarities) and harvest climatic conditions is crucial for sustainability in this sector. Thus, in line with this current trend, the starting point for the development of this PhD thesis was to evaluate the oenological potential of different varieties cultivated throughout Bairrada Appellation (Portugal). During maturation several changes in grape varieties occur, namely berries become sweeter, less acidic, and they develop flavour, aroma and colour properties. The development of these characteristics is essential to define grapes oenological potential, i.e. to estimate the possibility of their usage to produce specific wines. A three years sampling plan was designed to evaluate the effect of harvest year and parcel characteristics on V. vinifera cv. Arinto, Bical, Sauvignon Blanc, Baga, Castelão, Touriga Nacional, and Sousão grapes composition. For each variety, 3 parcels with different characteristics were selected. Several physicochemical parameters were evaluated, during maturation: berry weight, pH, titratable acidity, sugar and phenolic contents, antiradical activity, and volatile composition (free fraction). Special attention was devoted to grapes at technologic maturity, since, besides these parameters, glycosidically-linked fraction was also considered. By using the results obtained at technologic maturity, a comprehensive approach was applied to identify the significance of harvest and parcel characteristics effects on each variety composition. Considering all the parameters under study, it may be highlighted some significant differences. According to the obtained results determined during maturation, it was possible to conclude that Arinto, Bical and Sauvignon Blanc grapes from parcels with clay-sandy and clay-calcareous soils have higher phenolic content and antiradical activity. Otherwise, Sauvignon Blanc presented similar volatile composition for grapes cultivated in the 3 parcels, while Arinto and Bical exhibited higher volatile content in grapes from claysandy and clay-calcareous soils. For Baga, Castelão and Touriga Nacional red varieties, grapes with higher phenolic content, antiradical activity, and volatile content were obtained from clayey and clay-calcareous soils. Furthermore, for Touriga Nacional, parcels altitude seems also to modulate grapes composition. Beyond parcel effect, harvest year conditions also influence grapes composition: 2011 harvest was related with lower phenolic and volatile contents, as well as lower antiradical activity.For grapes collected at technologic maturity, analysis of variance-simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) was applied combining all the parameters under study, in order to assess the influence of harvest and parcel characteristics on each variety oenological potential. The results obtained using this comprehensive approach is closely related with those observed during maturation and revealed that harvest was the main factor that influenced grapes composition (53% to 68% of the total data set variance) followed by parcel characteristics, explaining ca. 15-19% of the total data set variance. The oenological potential of each variety may be different from one parcel to another, i.e., clay-sandy and clay-calcareous related-environments seem to favour Arinto and Bical white grapes composition, but for the red varieties, grapes composition was favoured by clayey and clay-calcareous soils. Besides, also higher altitude seems to favour Touriga Nacional grapes composition. Sauvignon Blanc seems to be a variety well adapted to the different parcel characteristics. In order to go forward in the valuation of these varieties, the aroma properties of 6 monovarietal wines were studied based on an aroma network-approach, linking molecular data related to volatile composition and aroma data about the key odor active molecules. This approach allowed to identify different wine aroma properties and to infer about the consumer’s sensory perception. It was found that aroma properties differ from one wine variety to another: while Arinto and Sauvignon Blanc wine exhibited higher tree fruity, sweety and flowery aromas, related essentially with ester compounds and C13 norisoprenoids, the opposite was obtained for Bical wine, corroborating the aroma sensory perceptions of the trained panel. Sauvignon Blanc also exhibited higher toasted aromas (related with thiols, mainly with 2-methyl-3-furanthiol). Touriga Nacional red wine exhibited higher tree, tropical, and berry fruits notes (sensory described as sweet fruits), toasted and flowery aromas, while these are similar for the other red wines under study. Besides Portuguese Bairrada wines, this aroma network approach is a tool that can be used to explain the aroma properties of wines worldwide. The grape and wine data generated under the present PhD thesis, in the context of Bairrada Appellation, shows the unique character of each variety, and may be used by growers and wine producers as a support for decisionmaking based on objective criteria, increasing the sustainability in this sector. For instance, it is possible to take advantage of the natural resources and produce products with different characteristics obtained from the same variety, minimizing costs during the winemaking process.
A viticultura sustentável de uma região passa, entre outros aspetos, pela maximização das potencialidades das castas, minimizando posteriores intervenções ao nível da vinificação, contribuindo para a produção de vinhos de qualidade mantendo a sua tipicidade e racionalizando custos. O conhecimento detalhado das especificidades de cada região, nomeadamente as características da parcela de vinha (tipos de solo e dados topográficos) e as condições climatéricas do ano, é fundamental para a sustentabilidade neste setor. Assim, em linha com esta tendência atual, o ponto de partida para o desenvolvimento da presente tese de doutoramento consistiu em avaliar o potencial enológico de diferentes castas cultivadas na Região Demarcada da Bairrada em Portugal. Ao longo da maturação as uvas das diferentes variedades sofrem várias alterações, tais como, os bagos tornam-se mais doces e menos ácidos, e desenvolvem as suas propriedades de sabor, aroma e cor. O desenvolvimento dessas características é essencial para definir o potencial enológico das uvas, ou seja, para estimar a possibilidade da sua utilização para a produção de vinhos com características específicas. Foi desenhado um plano de amostragem de três anos para avaliar o efeito do ano de colheita e das características da parcela na composição das uvas V. vinifera cv. Arinto, Bical, Sauvignon Blanc, Baga, Castelão, Touriga Nacional e Sousão. Para cada casta foram selecionadas 3 parcelas com diferentes características. Foram avaliados diversos parâmetros físico-químicos, ao longo da maturação: peso do bago, pH, acidez titulável, conteúdo de açúcar e compostos fenólicos totais, atividade anti-radicalar e composição volátil (fração livre). Para as uvas maduras foi também feita a análise da fração glicosidicamente ligada. A análise abrangente aplicada aos resultados obtidos para as uvas maduras, permitiu avaliar a significância dos efeitos do ano de colheita e das características da parcela na composição de cada casta. Considerando todos os parâmetros em estudo, foi possível destacar algumas diferenças significativas. De acordo com os resultados obtidos ao longo da maturação, foi possível concluir que as uvas Arinto, Bical e Sauvignon Blanc provenientes das parcelas com solos argilo-arenosos e argilo-calcários tinham maior teor em compostos fenólicos e maior atividade anti-radicalar. Por outro lado, a casta Sauvignon Blanc apresentou uma composição volátil semelhante para as uvas provenientes das 3 parcelas, enquanto que as uvas Arinto e Bical provenientes dos solos argilo-arenosos e argilo-calcários apresentaram maior teor em compostos voláteis. Para as castas tintas Baga, Castelão e Touriga Nacional, uvas com teores mais elevados de compostos fenólicos totais, de atividade anti-radicalar e de compostos voláteis foram obtidos a partir das parcelas com solos argilosos e argilo-calcários. Para a Touriga Nacional, a altitude das parcelas também parece modular a composição das uvas. Para além do efeito da parcela, as condições do ano de colheita também influenciaram a composição das uvas: a colheita de 2011 está relacionada com menor teor em compostos fenólicos totais e menor composição volátil, bem como menor atividade anti-radicalar. Para as uvas maduras, a análise de variância-análise simultânea de componentes (ASCA) foi aplicada combinando todos os parâmetros em estudo, a fim de avaliar a influência das características da parcela e do ano de colheita no potencial enológico de cada casta. Os resultados obtidos com esta abordagem global estão estritamente relacionados com os resultados observados ao longo da maturação e revelaram que o ano de colheita é o principal fator que influencia a composição uvas (53% a 68% da variabilidade total dos dados), seguido das características da parcela que explicaram 15% a 19% da variabilidade total dos dados. O potencial enológico de cada casta é diferente de uma parcela para outra, ou seja, um ambiente relacionado com solos argilo-arenoso e argilo-calcários parece favorecer a composição das castas brancas Arinto e Bical, no entanto para as castas tintas a composição das uvas parece ser favorecidas pelos solos argilosos e argilo-calcários. Para além disto, altitudes mais elevadas parecem também favorecer a composição das uvas Touriga Nacional. O Sauvignon Blanc parece ser uma casta bem adaptada às diferentes características das parcelas. Com o intuito de ir mais além na valorização destas castas, as propriedades de aroma de 6 vinhos monovarietais foram estudadas usando uma rede de aroma, que combina dados moleculares relacionados com a composição volátil e as moléculas ativas chave do aroma. Esta abordagem permitiu identificar diferentes propriedades no aroma dos vinhos e inferir sobre a perceção sensorial do consumidor. Verificou-se que as propriedades de aroma diferem entre castas: enquanto os vinhos Arinto e Sauvignon Blanc exibiram mais aromas a frutos de árvore, doces e florais, relacionados essencialmente com ésteres e norisoprenóides em C13, o oposto foi obtido para o vinho Bical. Estas perceções sensoriais de aroma foram corroboradas pelo painel treinado. Os vinhos da casta Sauvignon Blanc também exibiram mais aromas tostados, relacionados com tióis, principalmente com o 2-metil-3-furantiol. O vinho tinto da casta Touriga Nacional exibiu mais aromas a frutos de árvore, tropicais e a bagas (descrito sensorialmente como fruta doce), e mais aromas tostados e florais, enquanto estes são semelhantes para os outros vinhos tintos em estudo. Para além dos vinhos Portugueses da Bairrada, esta abordagem de rede de aroma é uma ferramenta que pode ser usada para explicar as propriedades de aroma dos vinhos em todo o mundo. No âmbito da presente tese de doutoramento, os dados obtidos para as uvas e vinhos das castas em estudo, provenientes da Região Demarcada da Bairrada, mostram o caráter único de cada casta e podem ser utilizados pelos produtores de uvas e vinhos como um suporte para a tomada de decisões com base em critérios objetivos, aumentando a sustentabilidade neste sector. Por exemplo, é possível tirar proveito dos recursos naturais e produzir vinhos com características diferentes, obtidos a partir da mesma casta, minimizando os custos durante o processo de vinificação.

This thesis aimed at characterising the structure of the bacterial and fungal community living in vineyard soils, identifying and describing the parameters that explain the distribution of the microbial communities in this environment. Vineyards represent an economical relevant agro-ecosystem, where vines, long-lived woody-perennial plants, are normally cultivated at different altitudes. The maintenance of the soil quality is at the base of a productive agriculture and thus the investigation of its biological component, its structure and all the processes that take place into the soil are of importance. Microorganisms represent one of the main biological components of the soil and they are involved in numerous bio-geochemical processes, such as nutrient cycling and degradation of the soil organic matter (SOM). The understanding of the effect of abiotic and biotic factors on the soil microbial communities is crucial for the maintenance of this agro-ecosystem. Considering that viticulture is widespread in North Italy we selected the Trentino region as study area at the basis of our investigations. A first on field study was carried out on soils collected in nine vineyards located along three altitudinal transects. The sites were selected on the basis of the same soil origin, texture and pH, and similar weather conditions. Our aim was to understand the effect of altitude considered as a climatic and physicochemical gradient on the soil bacterial and fungal community, comparing the soil microbial structure at different altitudes (200, 450, 700 m a.s.l.) and in different seasons. Along these altitudinal gradients, soil temperature is decreasing while soil moisture is increasing, thus offering an experimental design to investigate the effect of these climatic parameters. To further exploit the effect of soil temperature, we then carried out one year microcosm experiment. Temperature is one of the main factors affecting soil microbial communities and the recent worries about climate change stimulated the interest in a better understanding of its effect. Our aim was to assess the effect of temperature alone, isolating its effect from all the other parameters present in the field. In particular we investigated the effect of soil seasonal temperature fluctuations and the effect of a moderate soil warming of 2 °C above normal seasonal temperatures. Furthermore we assessed the effect of stable temperatures without fluctuations (3 and 20°C). To fully characterise the vineyard environment we conducted a third experiment to understand the effect of weeds and of soil type on the bacterial and fungal community structure, to reflect on their role in this environment. Weeds are widespread plants in the vineyards and are usually controlled because they compete for nutrients with vines. Through a greenhouse experiment where we used a combination of three different weeds (Taraxacum officinalis, Trifolium repens and Poa trivialis) and four different soils collected in vineyard, we aimed at characterising the bacterial and fungal communities of the bulk and rhizosphere soil and of the roots. The genetic structure of the soil bacterial and fungal communities in the three different experiments was assessed by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), a fingerprinting technique based on the analysis of the length heterogeneity of the bacterial and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) fragment. Multivariate analyses were carried out to visualise and determine the effect of the different parameters investigated on the soil microbial community ordination. We found that altitude, behaving as a physicochemical gradient separates the soil microbial community living at 200 and 700 m a.s.l. Different parameters correlating with altitude explained the distribution of bacteria and fungi in the altitudinal transects. Qualitatively the different vineyards were characterised by a stable core microbiome, a number of ribotypes stable in time and space. Among the climatic parameters, while soil moisture was correlating with altitude and helped explaining the distribution of the microbial communities, the soil temperature did not play any role. Seasonally the soil microbial communities were stable and the differences among the soil microbial communities living at the lower and higher sites were related to the physicochemical parameters and not to the temperature effect. Investigating the effect of temperature in microcosm experiment, isolating its effect from all the other parameters, we determined the presence of a direct effect of temperature, soil type dependent. The soil bacterial community was fluctuating under the effect of temperature fluctuations, while the fungal community was mainly stable. Soil warming did not have any effect on the microbial community as observed on field in the altitudinal gradient, where temperature was not the factor explaining the differences between the microbial community at 200 and 700 m a.s.l. Vineyards, as other temperate environments, are quite stable to subtle changes in soil temperatures in the range forecasted by the climate change events. Even if we did not find a direct effect of temperature on the soil microbial communities, temperature could indirectly affect the soil microorganisms, acting on plant cover, nutrients availability, soil moisture and plant exudation. The soil structure was the main determinant of the microbial community associated to the bulk soil also in presence of plants. Characterising the microbial community associated to the weeds, we found that the different compartments (roots, rhizosphere and bulk soil) were colonised by qualitatively and quantitative different microbial structure, in particular on the roots. Differences in the microbial community associated to the rhizosphere and to the bulk soil were plant type dependent. The structure of the microbial community associated to the roots was mainly determined by the plant species, while the soil type was the main determinant of the microbial community associated to the bulk soil. Weeds are not expected to particularly affect the bacterial community associated to the bulk soil in vineyards, while they could play a role shaping the soil fungal community

Nowadays, pesticides represent the most common tool used to control pests in agriculture. Because of the detrimental effects both on environment and human health related to chemical defence strategies, more ecological approaches need to be tested. My dissertation aims to evaluate some sustainable biological control strategies in vineyard. Natural enemy (Anagyrus vladimiri Triapitsyn (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)) were released against mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) and the role of tending ants was investigated in beneficial-mealybug-ant tritrophic relation. Habitat management approaches were adopted to mitigate Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) infestation and enhance beneficial activity. Finally, silica gel, a silicon-derived compound, was tested to study its potential role in eliciting plant defence response, including parasitoid attraction. Field trials were carried out in Northern Italy, in important viticultural areas of Lambrusco and Pignoletto wines. Results showed the great potentiality of A. vladimiri and C. montrouzieri in controlling both Planococcus ficus (Signoret) and Pseudococcus comstocki Kuwana infestation. The use of sugar dispensers to disrupt ant activity increased ecosystem services and reduced mealybug infestation. Ground cover management did not reduce L. botrana infestation, but it boosted parasitoid biodiversity. Finally, the treatments with silica gel enhanced the attraction towards three important Hymenoptera parasitoid families: Mymaridae, Encyrtidae and Braconidae. In conclusion, these strategies showed a potential both in suppressing pest infestation and enhancing natural enemy activity and attraction. Further studies should focus on combining environmentally-friendly practices, creating a synergistic effect which has the potentiality to reduce or even avoid insecticide treatments in some vineyard context.

O Alentejo é uma região vitícola que tem vindo a sofrer grandes transformações ao longo dos anos, passando de uma região secundária, em termos vitícolas, para uma das principais do país. Pretende-se com este estudo fazer a análise da evolução da paisagem da vinha na região do Alentejo no período compreendido entre finais do séc. XIX e a atualidade. Neste estudo da evolução da paisagem da vinha tentaremos perceber os fatores que influenciaram as transformações, desde as alterações das práticas agrícolas e de gestão dos solos até à implementação dos planos e normas europeias. Posteriormente será realizada uma análise e caracterização da sub-região de Denominação de Origem de Borba, com o objetivo de concretizar uma aproximação a um Plano de Paisagem da Vinha. Através da elaboração e da análise de cartografia referente às componentes biofísicas e culturais que mais influenciam a cultura da vinha, será possível elaborar uma primeira abordagem às unidades paisagísticas da vinha. Ao longo desta dissertação, a metodologia aplicada teve como base uma componente teórica, de pesquisa bibliográfica e de consolidação de conhecimentos, e uma componente prática, de recolha e elaboração de elementos cartográficos, que traduzem toda a componente teórica; ABSTRACT: | An Approach To The Evolution Of The Vineyard Landscape In Alentejo Alentejo is a wine-growing region which has undergone a substantial transformation over the years, having shifted from a secondary region with almost no interest to one of the most prominent regions of wine production in the country. The aim of this study is to analyze the evolution of the vineyard landscape in the Alentejo region, between the end of the nineteenth century untill the present. Herein, the factors that have influenced the transformations of the vineyard’s landscape, will be adressed from the changes in agricultural practices and soil management to the implementation of European plans and rules. Subsequently, the Borba’s Denomination of Origin sub-region will be an analysed and characterized in order to achieve an approximation of a Vineyard Landscape Plan. Through the elaboration and analysis of cartography regarding the biophysical and cultural components that influence the most the vine culture, it will be possible to elaborate a first approach to the vineyard landscape units. Throughout this dissertation, the applied methodology was based on a theoretical component, bibliographic research and knowledge consolidation, and a practical component, collection and elaboration of cartographic elements, which translate the whole theoretical component.

The current picture of the American Church is considerably less gloriously diverse than the end-times church portrayed in Revelation 7:9. Since the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s observation in 1956 of Sunday morning as the most segregated time in America, much has been written about the subject of diverse churches, by many different authors and from many different perspectives. By distilling the best practices found in these writings into a model curriculum and teaching it to his congregation, the author answers the question “What constitutes an effective training model designed to increase awareness of some of the key aspects of multi-ethnic churches for Harmony Vineyard Church in Ashland, Virginia?”

The project’s rationale was straightforward and simple. First, a more unified, diverse church blesses God the Father. Second, for pastors who desire a multi-ethnic congregation, this project will hopefully serve as a single resource addressing the specific issues of teaching and training both pastors and congregations in exactly how to go about creating such a congregation. Third, developing more multi-ethnic congregations is desirable, important, and strategic as the U.S.A.’s ethnic population continues to grow.

The intervention project consisted of seven training segments designed to do the following: 1) to portray God’s heart for unity; 2) to introduce multi-ethnic church terms and concepts; 3) to introduce cultural awareness and its importance, and; 4) to conduct a “sacred conversation” about race and racial issues. The training included both sermons and classroom teaching, and was presented during May, 2015.

Another aspect of the project was a questionnaire-based study of self-described multi-ethnic Vineyard churches to test if the literature’s best practices needed to be contextualized for each denomination, and specifically for Vineyard churches. The good news is that apparently they do not. It was also good news to discover that in many cases, monoethnic churches can become multi-ethnic even if their neighborhoods are not particularly diverse.

At the project’s end it was determined that the curriculum put forth was a successful training model as a significant majority of the participants’ feedback pointed to an increased awareness of the training’s four focus areas mentioned above.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The agricultural sector in South Africa relies heavily on the use of pesticides to protect crops against pest organisms. Pesticides can affect non-target organisms such as the meso- and macrofauna in the soil detrimentally. Since these organisms play an important role in the processes of mineralization and decomposition in the soil and contribute to soil fertility, it is important that they are protected. A large amount of published literature exists on the biological importance of soil meso- and macrofauna and the effects that various agricultural practices have on them. The main aim of this study was to investigate the influence of agricultural practices on the abundance and diversity of meso- and macrofauna in different vineyard soils. A comparative study was conducted of an organically managed, conventionally managed and an uncultivated control soil. A secondary aim was to determine the effect of these agricultural management practices on the biological activity of these animals. Soil samples were taken, from which mesofauna (Collembola and Acari) were extracted with a modified Tullgren extractor, identified and counted. Earthworms were extracted from the soil using hand sorting methods. Soil parameters such as pH, water holding capacity, organic matter content, soil texture and soil respiration were determined. Bait lamina and litter-bags were also used to help determine the biological activity within the soil. The mesofauna diversity was quantified using the Shannon Weiner diversity index, as well as a diversity index described by Cancela da Fonseca and Sarkar (1996). Differences in abundance of both the meso-and macrofauna were statistically measured using ANOVA's. Biological activity results were also interpreted using ANOV A's. Results indicate that the abundance of the meso fauna was the highest at the organically treated vineyard soil and lowest in the conventionally managed soil where pesticide application took place. The earthworms also showed the same trend as the mesofauna, but were much more influenced by seasonal changes. Biological activity, according to the bait lamina and the litter-bag results, was higher in both the conventionally and organically managed soils than in the control, but no statistical significant differences were found between the two experimental soils. The soil respiration (C02-flux), also indicating biological activity, was highest in the organically treated soil and lowest in the conventionally treated soil. The different sampling techniques used gave variable results and although the organically managed soil proved to have higher abundances of both meso- and macrofauna, the biological activity did not show the same trends. In conclusion the data did not give enough evidence as to whether organic management practices were more beneficial than conventional management practices for the maintenance of soil biodiversity.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid Afrikaanse Landbousektor steun hewig op die gebruik van verskillende chemiese pestisiede om oeste teen pes organismes te beskerm. Pestisiede kon ook verskeie ander nie-teikenorganismes soos die meso- en makrofauna in die grond negatief affekteer. Hierdie organismes behoort beskerm te word omdat hulle 'n belangrike rol speel in grondprosesse soos mineralisering, en die afbreek van organiese materiaal. Hierdie organismes dra ook by tot die vrugbaarheid van die grond. Daar is heelwat gepubliseerde literatuur beskikbaar wat verband hou met die biologiese belangrikheid van grond meso- en makrofauna en die effekte wat verskeie landbou behandelings op hulle het. Die primêre doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel watter invloed konvensionele landboupraktyke op die hoeveelheid en diversiteit van meso- en makrofauna in verskillende wingerdgronde het. 'n Vergelykende studie is gedoen om wingerdgronde wat konvensioneel en organies behandel is sowel as 'n onbehandelde kontrolegrond met natuurlike plantegroei met mekaar te vergelyk. 'n Sekondêre doel van hierdie studie was ook om die effek van die verskillende boerderymetodes op die biologiese akitiwiteit in die grond te ondersoek. Grondmonsters is geneem, waaruit die meso fauna (Collembola en Acari) deur middel van 'n aangepaste Tullgren ekstraktor ge-ekstraheer, geïdentifiseer en getel. Die erdwurms is deur middel van handsorteringsmetodes versamel. Die volgende grond parameters is gemeet: pH, waterhouvermoë, organiese materiaal inhoud, grondtekstuur en grondrespirasie. "Bait lamina" en "litter bags" is ook gebruik om biologiese aktiwiteit in die grond te bepaal. Die diversiteit van mesofauna is bepaal met die Shannon Weiner diversiteitsindeks, as ook 'n diversiteitsindeks wat deur Cancela da Fonseca en Sarkar (1996) ontwikkel is. Die resultate van beide die meso- en makrofauna hoeveelhede in die verskillende wingerdgronde is met mekaar vergelyk deur van ANOV A's gebruik te maak. Die resultate van die biologiese aktiwiteit is ook deur middel van ANOVO's statisties met mekaar vergelyk. Die resultate het aangetoon dat die hoeveelheid mesofauna die hoogste in die organies behandelde grond en die laagste in konvensionele grond was. Die erdwurms het dieselfde patroon as die mesofauna getoon, maar is baie meer deur seisoenale faktore geaffekteer, bv. reënval. Volgens die resultate van die "bait lamina" en die "litter bags" was die biologiese aktiwiteit in die grond hoër in beide die eksperimentele grond as in die kontrolegrond. Die grondrespirasie (C02-puIs) was hoër in die kontrolegrond as in die ander eksperimentele gronde. Daar was groot variasie tussen die resultate wat met die verskillende tegnieke verkry is en alhoewel die organiese perseel hoër hoeveelhede van beide meso- en makrofauna gehad het, het die biologiese aktiwiteit nie dieselfde tendens gewys nie. Vanuit die data wat verkry is kon daar dus nie met sekerheid afgelei word dat organiese boerderymetodes beter vir die biodiversiteit van gronde,soos hier gemeet, is as konvensionele boerderymetodes nie.

South Africa is a country with low GDP growth, one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, coupled with the highest gini co-efficient in the world. A national minimum wage of R3500 has been tabled by government for 2018. The agricultural sector of South Africa employs a large portion of the countries labour force and currently pays a minimum wage of R3001.13. This research aimed to establish what the potential effects of a national minimum wage would be on a sector which has already experienced vast changes in its minimum wage policy with the implementation of a sectoral minimum wage increase in 2012. It must be noted that while this was an exploratory study and therefore not exhaustive of all details, the response from the farmers interviewed depicts that the national minimum wage will have far reaching negative impacts. Based on the experience of the 2012 uprising, farmers predict employment statistics of both permanent and seasonal workers, will decrease, as well as having an adverse effect on supporting industries and local community businesses, and lastly an increase in crime rates.
Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
km2018
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
Unrestricted