Biological Pest & Disease Management for Vines at Holdaway Vineyards
The Holdaways are also successfully managing insect pests without insecticides, with flowering cover crops attracting beneficial predatory insects that keep pest species in check.
The Holdaways are also successfully managing insect pests without insecticides, with flowering cover crops attracting beneficial predatory insects that keep pest species in check.
How to make your vineyard more resilient to climate change We are entering an era where climate patterns no longer follow predictable cycles. Temperatures continue to rise, rainfall becomes erratic, and weather events grow more violent and frequent. Climate adaptation and climate change resilience are becoming urgent challenges for wine growers. The new normal is…
Our September newsletter is out. This month: Tasting Climate Change 2026 sessions now available to watch; practical guides on cover crops, weed management and compost teas; fresh research on resilience and economics in regenerative vineyards from France to Sonoma, plus new recognition for ROC and regenerative producers from Napa to New Zealand. Read it here….
Our August newsletter is out. This month: a huge leap forward for cover crops in California, a new Water Management guide we think every grower should bookmark, regenerative wines showing up in Whole Foods, plus films, podcasts, new science on birds, bees and cover crops, and diary dates from Santa Barbara to Bordeaux. Read it…
Science continues to reveal just how sophisticated the relationship is between plant roots and the soil microbiome. We’ve written before about plants acting as miniature solar panels, using photosynthesis to produce sugars that are released into the soil as root exudates. These exudates feed soil microbes, creating a symbiotic partnership between plants and the organisms that live around their roots
Canavera et al. (2026, Environmental Microbiome), Piacenza (Italy), found that cover crop–derived under-vine mulching in a non-irrigated vineyard significantly increased rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbial diversity while improving soil conditions and reducing pathogen pressure. Headline Findings: Methods: Conducted in a non-irrigated vineyard in northern Italy.Compared three inter-row management systems: In spring, cover crops were terminated and…
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