Erosion Assessment by a Fast and Low-Cost Procedure in a Vineyard Under Different Soil Management

Maria Costanza Andrenelli, Sergio Pellegrini (), Gianni Fila, Claudia Becagli, Giuseppe Valboa and Nadia Vignozzi
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Maria Costanza Andrenelli: CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente (CREA-AA), Via di Lanciola 12A, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Sergio Pellegrini: CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente (CREA-AA), Via di Lanciola 12A, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Gianni Fila: CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente (CREA-AA), Laboratorio di Gelsibachicoltura, Via Leonardo Eulero 6A, 35143 Padova, Italy
Claudia Becagli: CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente (CREA-AA), Via di Lanciola 12A, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Giuseppe Valboa: CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente (CREA-AA), Via di Lanciola 12A, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Nadia Vignozzi: CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente (CREA-AA), Via di Lanciola 12A, 50125 Firenze, Italy

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: Soil erosion in vineyards is a major environmental problem, particularly in hilly Mediterranean environments. Our study evaluated the effectiveness of permanent grass cover (PG), continuous tillage (CT), and green manure (GM) in reducing soil erosion. Furthermore, a new software tool (ISUMmate_1.1.xlsm), based on the improved stock unearthing method (ISUM), was developed and tested to quantify soil mobilization between successive transects along vineyard inter-row. The field trial was carried out over a three-year period in a Tuscany (Italy) vineyard. The results showed that PG significantly improved aggregate stability and soil organic carbon (SOC) content, while exhibiting the lowest erosion rates. In contrast, GM showed the highest erosion rates as a result of soil disturbance associated with cultivation operations and the occurrence of unexpected intense rainfalls. ISUMmate_1.1 has proven to be a reliable tool for monitoring both water- and tillage-induced erosion, providing valuable information for sustainable vineyard management.

Keywords: continuous tillage; cover crops; green manure; improved stock unearthing method (ISUM); soil erosion; soil management; vineyard (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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