Wine grape grower perceptions and attitudes about soil health

Abstract

Developing and adopting strategies that preserve soil health from degradation due to drastic changes in climate is critical for securing sustainable viticulture. For example, healthy soils promote water infiltration, nutrient cycling, and retention functions that support grape production. However, little research has evaluated drivers of growers' decision-making processes and actions towards soil management practices that impact soil health in vineyards. The objective of this study was to assess wine grape growers' perceptions and attitudes of soil health to identify grower's most important soil health functions and definition, and to understand how these might influence behavior related to soil management practices. Therefore, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 wine grape growers understand current barriers, motivations, and opportunities for adopting and/or maintaining practices for building soil health in vineyards. Most growers described healthy vineyard soils as balanced, biodiverse, self-sustaining, and resilient systems that provide nutrient, and water cycling functions and support high-quality wine grape production. Three categories of growers emerged based on soil health attitudes including Early Adopter (n = 3), Early Majority (n = 4) and Late Majority (n = 9) groups. The main barriers for adoption and maintenance of soil health practices were high costs, potential economic risks, and lack of information on how these practices influence grape production especially for the Late Majority group. Most growers were willing to adopt more soil heath practices if additional specific, practical information could be provided on outcomes of soil health practices for wine grape production systems—especially economic benefits. The outcomes of this study guide future soil health research and outreach activities to better support growers in building and protecting vineyard soil health while achieving viticultural goals.