Nutrients

Question 1

Where does the vine acquire its nutrients?

Answer 1

Soil

Question 2

What factors do nutrients influence?

Answer 2

• vine heatlh
• grape yield
• grape composition

Question 3

Do vines require high or low levels of nutrients?

Answer 3

low

Question 4

What are the 5 most important nutrients for vines?

Answer 4

1. Nitrogen
2. Potassium
3. Phosphorus
4. Calcium
5. Magnesium

Question 5

What is nitrogen essential for?

Answer 5

• vine growth
• major impact on vine vigor and grape quality
• component of chlorophyll (required for photosynthesis)

Question 6

What happens if there is too much nitrogen in the soil?

Answer 6

Excessive vegetative growth

• sugars diverted to the growing shoots and leaves rather than the grapes, hindering ripening
• poor ventilation (leading to fungal disease) unless adequately managed

Question 7

What happens if there is too little Nitrogen in the soil?

Answer 7

• reduced vigor
• yellowing of vine leaves
• problematic for fermentation

Question 8

What is Potassium essential for?

Answer 8

• vine growth
• regulates the flow of water in the vine

Question 9

What happens if there is too much potassium in the soil?

Answer 9

= problems in the uptake of magnesium, which may lead to reduced yields and poor ripening

• leads to high potassium levels within the grapes (wine quality lowers, as high levels of potassium in the grape must are linked to high pH)

Question 10

What happens if there is too little potassium in the soil?

Answer 10

• low sugar accumulation in the grapes
• reduced yields
• poor vine growth in general

Question 11

What is phosphorus essential for?

Answer 11

• photosynthesis

Question 12

What happens if there is too little phosphorus in the soil?

Answer 12

Vines need only a small amount, usually there is enough in the soil

Question 13

What is calcium essential for?

Answer 13

• structure of plant cells
• photosynthesis

Question 14

What happens if there is too little calcium in the soil?

Answer 14

• negative influence on fruit set

Question 15

What is magnesium essential for?

Answer 15

• magnesium is found in chlorophyll
• key role in photosynthesis

Question 16

What happens if there is too little magnesium in the soil?

Answer 16

• reduced grape yields
• poor ripening

Question 17

What affects nutrient availability in soil?

Answer 17

soil pH

Question 18

What is chlorosis? What causes it?

Answer 18

• this is a condition in which leaves turn yellow and photosynthesis stops, so grape ripening and yields are negatively affected as a result
• lack of available iron in the soil (high pH)

Question 19

What must happen before the vine can take up organic nutrient compounds (found in and added to the soils)?

Answer 19

• need to be converted into inorganic compounds
• organisms that live in the soil feed on the organic matter and convert it for the vine

Question 20

What is mineralization?

Answer 20

The process by which organism that live in the soil ( such as bacteria, fungi, earthworms, etc) feed on the organic matter and convert it into available forms

Question 21

What types of soil texture are good at holding nutrients? Bad?

Answer 21

• good: clay
• bad: sandy

Question 22

What can increase the soil’s ability to hold nutrients?

Answer 22

Humus

Question 23

What soils are typically less fertile and thinner: soils on slopes, or soils on plains/valley floors?

Answer 23

slopes

Question 24

What is soil? What is it comprised of?

Answer 24

• soil is the upper layer of the earth
• typically made up of geological sediment, organic remains in the form of humus, and the pores in between the sediment that contain water and air

Question 25

Where does the sediment come from?

Answer 25

Sediment comes from the weather of bedrock (solid rock)

Question 26

What types of layers make up the soil of a particular vineyard site?

Answer 26

- different layers formed at different periods of time, each of which may have a different texture, structure, and characteristics - the sediment in the soil may not be the same as the bedrock underneath; for example, over time the sediment may have been transported by water, winds, glaciers, or gravity (down-slope)

Question 27

What are the two main functions of soil?

Answer 27

- supports the vines' roots - medium from which vines take up water and nutrients

Question 28

Describe clay soil. How does this affect its ability to hold water and nutrients?

Answer 28

- finely-textured - very small particles (larger surface area compared to their volume) - very effective at holding water and nutrients

Question 29

Describe sandy soil. Describe how these characteristics affect the soil's ability to hold water and nutrients.

Answer 29

- loosely-textured - relatively large particles with small surface area compared to their volume - limited capacity to hold water - easy drainage - poor at retaining nutrients - workable and easy for vine roots to grow through

Question 30

Describe silt soil.

Answer 30

Silt has particles of intermediate size and its properties sit between that of clay and sad.

Question 31

What is loam soil? Describe its characteristics when it comes to drainage and water/nutrient holding capacity.

Answer 31

- loam describes a soil that has moderate proportions of clay, silt, and sand - may contain a proportion of larger rock fragments, such as gravel or pebbles (larger than gravel) - good drainage - lower water and nutrient-holding capacity

Question 32

What is soil texture?

Answer 32

The texture of the soil describes the proportions of the mineral particles of sand, silt and clay

Question 33

What is soil structure?

Answer 33

- the structure of the soil describes how the mineral particles in the soil form aggregates (crumbs) - the size, shape, and stability of these aggregates are also important for determining water drainage, root growth, and workability of the soil

Question 34

Describe the soil structure of soils that have a very high clay content

Answer 34

- sticky - may for aggregates that are hard for vine roots to penetrate and challenging for soil cultivation - the vines' roots may be limited to cracks or gaps between the aggregates

Question 35

Describe the structure of soils that are high in sand or larger particles such as gravels or pebbles

Answer 35

- very loosely structured - need some clay to help bind them together - humus helps to bind soils together, and can help retain water and nutrients

Question 36

What is humus? What's its texture? What does it help with?

Answer 36

- organic matter in the soil that is formed by the partial decomposition of plant material by soil microbes and earthworms - has a spongey texture, large surface area, and is able to adsorb water and nutrients

Question 37

What does the suitability of the soil for viticulture depend on?

Answer 37

- soil texture - soil structure - how far the roots are able to penetrate - climate suitability