PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Michela Centinari
AU  - Ilaria Filippetti
AU  - Taryn Bauerle
AU  - Gianluca Allegro
AU  - Gabriele Valentini
AU  - Stefano Poni
TI  - Cover Crop Water Use in Relation to Vineyard Floor Management Practices
AID  - 10.5344/ajev.2013.13025
DP  - 2013 Jul 08
TA  - American Journal of Enology and Viticulture
PG  - ajev.2013.13025
4099  - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/early/2013/07/02/ajev.2013.13025.short
4100  - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/early/2013/07/02/ajev.2013.13025.full
AB  - The aim of our study was to compare soil evaporation (Es) versus cover crop (Festuca arundinacea var. barfelix) evapotranspiration (Ecc) within a vineyard ecosystem and to investigate the effect of mowing in reducing cover crop Ecc, hence, its belowground competitiveness. The study was carried out in a 2-year-old Sangiovese (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard, grafted to SO4, in Bologna, Italy. Mini-lysimeters and a portable gas-exchange chamber system were used to investigate cover crop Ecc in relation to mowing and bare soil management practices. Our results show that, immediately after mowing, Ecc markedly decreased, with the percentage of reduction ranging between 35–49%, depending on the amount of clipped biomass. The extent of the Ecc reduction decreased overtime as the cover crop regrew. Over the 28-day period following the mowing, Es was 35 and 48% lower than mowed and un-mowed cover crop Ecc, respectively. This study shows that mowing could be used as a water management strategy to decrease vine-cover crop competition over a short time period.