An environmental approach to understanding the expansion of future vineyards: Case study of soil developed on alluvial sediments

• Main Authors: Amorós, J.A (Author), Bravo, S. (Author), García-Navarro, F.J (Author), García-Pradas, J. (Author), Jiménez-Ballesta, R. (Author), Pérez-De-los-reyes, C. (Author), Sánchez, M. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2021
• Subjects: Agricultural sustainability; Chemical characteristics; Gleyic Fluvisols; Morphological characteristics; Pedon; Semiarid environment; Soil survey; Sustainable vineyard production; Terroir
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 The importance of soil properties in wine grape production is generally treated as secondary to climate and canopy management. This study was undertaken to characterize and classify a singular soil resource for a vineyard in a traditional viticultural region: Castilla-La Mancha, central Spain. The soil under study was described and sampled using standard soil survey procedures as outlined by FAO, and served as a pedologic window for Gleyic Fluvisol (Calcaric, Humic), according to the FAO System, or Fluventic Haploxerept, according to the Soil Taxonomy System. This soil, developed on alluvial materials of Holocene age related to the Gigüela river (either carbonatic or gypsiferous) has, in addition to obvious hydromorphic features (that reduce its use), high organic matter content (5.5% in the Ap horizon) and moderate salt content (between 1.14 and 2.39 dS/m). Other properties are common to most vineyard soils in Castilla-La Mancha, such as alkaline reactivity (pH between 7.6 and 8.2); calcium and magnesium as the dominant cations followed by sodium and potassium; finally, some deficiency in N (0.11%) and P (12.3 mg/kg). The most restricting soil factors for vineyard growth of this soil type were waterlogging, which can affect vine roots, and the appearance of certain salinity problems. The final conclusion of this study was that the use of the studied soil type for vineyard cultivation could be recommended to farmers only in the case of improving soil properties—for example, draining the river level. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.