Doing the right thing in the vineyard is often seen as a compromise. Chemical-free farming means a lower carbon footprint and cleaner water and soils, but it also requires more hands-on work in the vineyard, and, conventional wisdom goes, lower yields. In other words, organic and biodynamic farming is economically costly.
But is that really true?
As our climate becomes increasingly unpredictable with more frequent and longer-lasting extreme weather events, as well as day-to-day temperature changes exceeding the 90th percentile threshold of historical records, new studies and anecdotal evidence from data-gathering viticulturalists are challenging longstanding perceptions surrounding organic and biodynamic farming.
An 18-year-field trial conducted in Germany assessed yields, vine vigor, and grape quality in conventional, organic, and biodynamic vineyards. At first, conventional won out, with organic and biodynamic farming systems showing yield deficits of -17% and -14% respectively. But those gaps diminished considerably over time, and about a decade after conversion, organic and biodynamic yields improved by 2.3% and 9% respectively during hot and dry vintages. Ravaz values, which measure vine balance and grape quality, were also higher in organic and biodynamically farmed systems.
Another study through the University of Alicante found that organic farming boosted crop yields, soil health, and biodiversity across 179 crops in eight countries covering a range of climates and soils.
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