• At the NEIKER technology center, we are researching various strategies to help the wine industry improve the resilience of vineyards to extreme climatic conditions

The high temperatures resulting from climate change also affect the balance of the vineyards, modifying their development. As the heat intensifies, the different phases of the vine, such as budding, flowering and ripening, are brought forward, resulting in an earlier harvest. As a consequence, the grapes ripen in periods of higher temperature, because the desired sugar content is reached earlier, which is what mainly marks the moment of harvest.

Another consequence of climate change in our area is that rainfall will be less well distributed and there will be a greater number of events with intense precipitation. This increases the risk of erosion, especially in soils that are bare and on sloping plots.

To help the wine industry address this situation, NEIKER is researching various strategies to mitigate the effects of global warming on vineyards. Among them is the implementation of ground covers, a practice that helps reduce soil erosion, improve soil structure and increase its capacity to retain water.

“These natural installations, composed of spontaneous or sown vegetation, act as a natural barrier that reduces erosion, thus preventing soil loss in the most superficial horizon, which is the richest in nutrients and organic matter”, explains Ana Aizpurua, researcher at NEIKER’s Plant Production and Protection department.

To put this solution into practice, NEIKER collaborates with basque wineries such as Zuazo Gastón, Baigorri, El Mozo Wines, Ostatu, Maisulan or Gorka Izagirre, which have made it possible to evaluate the impact of plant covers and obtain specific data on their effectiveness in different types of soil and climatic conditions.

In this line, in one of the trials we have carried out in Rioja Alavesa (Basque Contry) in an estate belonging to the Maisulan winery, we have shown that the use of a permanent plant cover drastically reduces soil loss, allowing us to conserve its fertility and improve the conditions of the vineyard.

Other complementary strategies

In addition to plant cover, at NEIKER we investigate other practices that can help mitigate the effects of climate change in vineyards.

One of them is late pruning, a technique that allows delaying the vine cycle to try to prevent grape ripening from coinciding with periods of higher temperatures. It also protects the vineyards that are most vulnerable to frost because it delays bud break and thus reduces the risk of spring frosts.

The researcher points out that “late pruning makes it possible to modify the phenological calendar of the vine, delaying budbreak and grape ripening, helping to avoid damage to the vine due to spring frosts and the effects of high temperatures in the stages in which the fruit develops”.

To evaluate its effectiveness, we have carried out trials that show that late pruning can delay budbreak by up to two or three weeks, a margin that benefits, above all, areas with a high risk of frost, as it minimizes the damage caused by low temperatures in spring.

Another line of work is the recovery and conservation of plant material. By identifying and evaluating old vines with interesting characteristics, we seek to preserve genetic diversity and select interesting plant material that meets the requirements of today’s viticulture.

Precision viticulture, to help in the face of climate change

As part of its comprehensive approach, NEIKER promotes precision viticulture, an approach based on the use of advanced technologies to know in detail the development of the vineyard. Through sensors, drones or satellite images, it is possible to monitor the behavior of the vineyard. From this information, and by analyzing the soils that give rise to different growth zones, we try to explain which soil properties explain the differences in the vineyard.

Thanks to the implementation of these techniques, wineries such as Itsasmendi, Artuke and Eguren Ugarte have more information that they can use to make decisions regarding agronomic practices or to determine which areas of the vineyard will be part of each of the wineries’ wines.

The combination of these strategies will enable the wine industry to better face the challenges of climate change and ensure the sustainability of vineyards in the future.