Under-vine mulching (herbicide-free) for input reduction & vine resilience
The impact, measured
Time horizon: Immediate
Why it works
It replaces row herbicide with a physical barrier, eliminating glyphosate without intensive mechanical weeding.
What to measure for this pairing
Why this goal matters
Cutting inputs lowers cost and environmental pressure without sacrificing the vine. Living soil and a balanced vine need less nitrogen, less herbicide and less fungicide — and tolerate pests and disease better.
The route is replacing routine interventions with informed decisions: soil-driven nutrition, pest monitoring and integrated protection. Recording what you apply — and what you no longer apply — is what proves the reduction and stays inside limits such as organic copper caps.
Goal indicators
Market & certification: Required by organic, integrated production and the EU copper cap (28 kg/ha over 7 years).
How to implement the practice
- 1Choose the material (straw, wood chip, pomace, chipped prunings).
- 2Apply a layer thick enough to shade the row.
- 3Top up as it breaks down.
- 4Record the area kept herbicide-free.
Frequently asked
Doesn’t mulch attract rodents or disease?
A well-managed, aerated mulch is rarely a problem. Keeping the layer off the trunk and choosing suitable materials minimises any risk.
How much material per hectare?
It depends on row width and layer thickness, but on-site prunings, pomace and chip cover much of the need.
Same practice, other goals
Same goal, other practices — Inputs
How GrapeFlow helps
The proof certification and buyers ask for — logged by plot and date.
Phytosanitary register & copper balance
Every treatment is logged with product, rate and active substance, and copper is summed on the 7-year rolling mean — direct proof of input reduction.
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.