The RVF Toolkit
Here you will find information on each of the practices we consider are useful in farming vines regeneratively. We hope these pages give you the information you need to become more regenerative. We’ve also included a glossary as there is a lot of new terminology. Remember to introduce changes incrementally and with professional guidance. And if you have ‘before and after’ data from trials carried out on adoption of regenerative techniques, we’d love to learn about your results.
If you’re looking for quick answers or want to get up to speed on the language of regenerative viticulture, our glossary is a great place to start. It defines the 100 most commonly used terms.
Monitoring soil health
Monitoring soil health is essential to improve your soil health. Lab tests every three years can show trends over time. Tests for soil structure can be performed in the vineyard
Soil organic matter
SOM is an important biological property, the essential food stuff for the soil food web. Minimise losses by minimising tillage. Increase through compost, cover crops, mulch
Interrow management
Tillage exposes the soil to the air, leading to carbon lost to the atmosphere. Native species or cover crops can be managed by mowing, crimping and rolling, grazing
Undervine management
Undervine tillage damages soil biology. Vineyard context will determine the most appropriate alternative for managing this more challenging area
Soil/ground cover
A key principle is to avoid bare soils. Ground cover reduces soil temperature/evaporation. Living ground cover maximises photosynthesis, provides habitat and biodiversity, helps store carbon
Decompaction
The best way to avoid poorly performing compacted soils is to develop a healthy soil biology: minimise vineyard passes, use plants with deep root systems and encourage earthworms
Cover crops
Soil life depends on having things growing and living in it. Selection and management of cover crops is context-specific, preferably native species, direct drilled to minimise soil disturbance
Vine fertility/nutrition and composting
Vine fertility is preferably managed through analysis of deficiencies and use of non-synthetic tools to optimise nutritional uptake through the microbial life in the soil
Animal integration
There is great potential with animals to accelerate soil health and regeneration through planned, strategic grazing management. They require good seasonal planning.
Water use
Regenerative viticulture looks at the natural water cycles within vineyards and develops systems that enhance the ability to capture, store and recycle water
Weed control
The goal of a fully regenerative system is the elimination of herbicides. While transitioning requires time, other methods should always be the preference as they are negative for soil health
Fungal control
Synthetic fungicides and copper are detrimental to soil health. RV practices can build resilience but this takes many years. Fungal resistant varieties require little treatment. Biofungicides may be a solution.
Insect control
Increasing biodiversity in the vineyard with native species encourages populations of beneficial predatory insects to control insect populations. Mating disruption is also effective
Biodiversity
Above ground biodiversity is primarily promoted through continuous species-rich ground cover, but also agroforestry and habitat creation
Agroforestry
Incorporating trees can reduce temperature, provide shade, retain water, prevent soil erosion, improve soil fertility, sequester carbon, provide habitat
Ecosystem design
The intentional, strategic planning and creation of the vineyard to form part of a wider ecological system which is both sustainable and resilient
Certification
The intentional, strategic planning and creation of the vineyard to form part of a wider ecological system which is both sustainable and resilient
