Soil biology & mycorrhizae for biodiversity & ecosystem
The impact, measured
Time horizon: 2–4 seasons
Why it works
An active mycobiota is a pillar of soil biodiversity and supports below-ground food chains.
What to measure for this pairing
Why this goal matters
Functional biodiversity turns the vineyard into a self-regulating ecosystem. Beneficials keep pests in check, pollinators and cover-crop flora support the food web, and diversity above and below ground buffers climate and disease shocks.
It is measured through ecological infrastructure (hedges, flower strips, walls), beneficial abundance and diverse ground cover. It is also an explicit requirement of schemes such as sustainability certification and integrated production.
Goal indicators
Market & certification: Central to sustainability certification, integrated production and brand storytelling.
How to implement the practice
- 1Keep living roots year-round with a permanent cover.
- 2Avoid tillage that ruptures the hyphal networks.
- 3Moderate phosphorus and soil fungicides that inhibit the fungi.
- 4Consider inoculation in new plantings or degraded soils.
Frequently asked
Is it worth buying mycorrhizal inoculants?
In degraded soils or new plantings it can help, but in healthy soils the fungi are already present — the return comes mostly from letting them thrive.
What harms mycorrhizae most?
Frequent tillage, excess phosphorus and some soil fungicides. Reduced tillage and balanced nutrition are the best allies.
Same practice, other goals
Same goal, other practices — Biodiversity
How GrapeFlow helps
The proof certification and buyers ask for — logged by plot and date.
Electronic field notebook
Log every operation — cover sowing, grazing, composting, mowing — by plot and date, with an audit-ready history that proves the practice over the years.
Plot registry & map
Every practice tied to the right plot on the map, with area, variety and history — so you know where you did what and can compare blocks.
Sustainability & carbon-footprint module
Water, energy, fuels and ecological infrastructure in one place, with the carbon footprint computed per season and per bottle.