Investigations into the influence of organic fertilizer on the nitrogen content in the soil and the musts of from the varieties `Blauburger`,``, `Blaufränkisch` and `` Martin Mehofer EGU – General Assembly, 30.04.2014 Contents

• Organic fertilization • Applied organic fertilizer • and varieties • Humus content and Nitrogen content in soil and must • Summary

2 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Organic fertilization

• What`s the use of it?

– Compensation of the loss of organic matter – Stabilization and enhancement of humus – Supply of nutrients – Improvement of soil structure – Improvement of vine growth

3 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Organic fertilization

• What`s the use of it?

– Increase of microbiological activity in soil – Activation of soil organisms – Improvement of water storage capacity – Protection against erosion – Saving of mineral fertilizers

4 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Organic fertilization

• Organic fertilizer: – Green crop covering (green manuring) – Manure – Straw – Crop resiudes: leaves, pruning wood, pulps, etc. – Commercial organic fertilzer – Compost

5 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Used organic ferilizer Quality compost A+ (Compost made of municipal organic waste and shrub trimmings)

Foto: K. Hanak, LFZ Klosterneuburg Foto: M. Mehofer, LFZ Klosterneuburg

6 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Used organic fertilizer

• Pellets from malt sprouts and vinasse – Malt sprouts: young radicles of newly germinated grain – Vinasse: second product from the processing of sugar beets Foto: M. Mehofer, LFZ Klosterneuburg

7 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Used organic fertilzer Dates and rates of application

Dates Compost Pellets (malt sprouts, vinasse) (Tons per hectare) April 24 th , 2008 10 1.5 April 28 th , 2009 15 1.5 April 27 th , 2010 15 1.5 April 11 th , 2011 15 1.5 March 21 st , 2012 15 1.5

8 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Used organic fertilizer

• Shallow incorporation of the organic fertilizer into the soil • Sowing of a green manure

Foto: K. Hanak, LFZ Klosterneuburg

9 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Vineyards and grape varieties Name of the Harer I Steinriegel Q28 Year of 2002 2000 planting Plant spacing 3.00 m x 1.00 m Varieties Blauburgunder Blaufränkisch Blauburger Riesling (BB) (BF) (BL) (RR) Clones A 12-2 148 St 26 T 68 Rootstocks K 5BB Fercal SO4 K 5BB • Training system: Guyot double – 6 – 7 buds per m² – one pair cordon wire (h = 90 cm) – three pairs stapling wire (h = 120 cm , 150 cm and 190 cm)

10 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Vineyards and grape varieties • Southern exposition • Altitude: 220 m • Mean temperature: 10 °C • Annual precipitation: 550 – 700 mm • Characteristics of the soil: – Calcareous brown soil on flysch-marl – Skeleton: 10 – 20 % – Clay: 25 – 34 % – Silt: 38 – 51 % – Sand: 15 – 37 % Foto: K. Hanak, LFZ Klosterneuburg

11 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Soil sampling

Foto: K. Hanak, LFZ Klosterneuburg

Fotos: K. Hanak, LFZ Klosterneuburg

Foto: K. Hanak, LFZ Klosterneuburg

12 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Humus content Humus content (%, 0 – 60 cm) Location Harer I

13 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Humus content Humus content (%, 0 – 60 cm) Location Steinriegel Q28

14 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Nitrogen content in the soil Mineral nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) in the soil (0 – 60 cm) in kg/ha, location Harer I

15 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Nitrogen content in the soil Mineral nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium) in the soil (0 – 60 cm) in kg/ha, location Steinriegel Q28

16 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Nitrogen content in the must

Fotos: K. Zitta, LFZ Klosterneuburg

17 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Nitrogen content in the must Nitrogen content in the must (mg/l), year 2008

400

350

300

250

200

Nitrogen (OPA NAC, /mg l) / 150

100

50

0

18 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Nitrogen content in the must Nitrogen content in the must (mg/l), year 2009

300

250

200

150 Nitrogen (OPA NAC, /mg l) / 100

50

0

19 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Nitrogen content in the must Nitrogen content in the must (mg/l), year 2010

450

400

350

300

250

200 Nitrogen (OPA NAC, /mg l) / 150

100

50

0

20 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Nitrogen content in the must Nitrogen content in the must (mg/l), year 2011

350

300

250

200

150 Nitrogen (OPA NAC, /mg l) / 100

50

0

21 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Nitrogen content in the must Nitrogen content in the must (mg/l), year 2012

22 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Summary • Humus content: – 2008: 2.7 % - 3.8 % – 2012: 2.3 % - 3.9 % – All values: content level “medium“. – Location `Harer I`: • Control and Pellets: decrease in the topsoil • Compost: unchanged – Location `Steinriegel Q28`: • Compost: increase in the topsoil • Control and pellets: unchanged

23 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Summary

• Mineral nitrogen in the soil (0 – 60 cm)

– Influence of sampling date, weather conditions and trial variant

– Extrapolated content of nitrogen in the soil was between 9 and 122.5 kg/ha resp. 8 and 110 kg/ha in the two locations

Foto: K. Hanak, LFZ Klosterneuburg

24 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Summary • Mean values of total mineral nitrogen content per hectare (0 to 60 cm) of all sampling dates of all years: – Location Harer I: • Control: 33.2 kg/ha • Compost: 37.7 kg/ha • Pellets: 51.2 kg/ha – Location Steinriegel Q28: • Control: 33.1 kg/ha • Compost: 30.3 kg/ha • Pellets: 44.3 kg/ha

25 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Summary

• Increase of Nitrogen content in the must: – Year 2008: • `Pinot noir` - compost – Year 2009: • `Pinot noir`, `Riesling` and `Blauburger` - compost and pellets – Year 2010: • `Pinot noir`, `Riesling`, `Blauburger` and `Blaufränkisch` - compost and pellets

26 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Summary

• Increase of Nitrogen content in the must: – Year 2011: • `Blauburger` and `Blaufränkisch` - compost and pellets – Year 2012: • `Pinot noir`, `Blauburger` and `Blaufränkisch`: compost and pellets

27 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Summary

• Organic commercial fertilizer primarily contributed to the nitrogen supply to the vines.

• Compost influenced the nitrogen supply to the vines positively and contributed to the stabilization of humus or even led to an increase of the humus content.

Foto: M. Mehofer, LFZ Klosterneuburg

28 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014 Thank you for your attention!

29 (c) DI Martin Mehofer 12.05.2014