In recent years, viticulture has been facing challenges, particularly in the face of the effects of global warming on vines. Between heatwaves and periods of intense frost, the grapes are put under severe strain and this has a direct impact on the agricultural yield of a vineyard. To counter this problem, innovations are constantly being proposed to winegrowers, such as the use of biostimulants. Let's see in detail what biostimulants can bring to the vine .
Understanding biostimulants
A biostimulant is a substance of natural origin (plant or mineral) which has the advantage of stimulating the physiological process of plants , and in particular vines. This then makes it possible to improve their yield, their nutritional quality, but also their resistance to environmental stress.
In vines, biostimulants play an important role for the development of vine plants , by promoting flowering, fruit set, but also ripening of the grapes. They thus represent one of the solutions offered to winegrowers to adapt to global warming .
A biostimulant can contain different living organisms, such as fungi or bacteria, but it can also be composed of synthetic materials. This type of product does not fall into the category of fertilizer, because they are not strictly speaking direct nutrients for the vine. In fact, they rather have a role in improving the nutrition of the vine , by promoting the absorption of the elements essential to its growth.
The advantages of biostimulants for the vine
Applied by spreading on the vineyard soils, or by sprinkling on the vines, biostimulants have numerous advantages.
- Improve the root growth of vines : by stimulating the development of the roots of vines, the biostimulant allows them to better absorb nutrients from the soil. With healthy roots, the vines are better protected from diseases;
- Improve flowering and fruit set : by stimulating these processes, the vine produces better fruit, in greater quantity and quality, and we know to what extent the grape impacts the quality of the wine ;
- Improve resistance to environmental stress : biostimulants allow vines to better resist abiotic stress (drought, hail, frost, wind, excess water, etc.);
- Improve the quality of grapes : the biostimulant can greatly influence the chemical composition of the fruit, particularly in terms of phenolic compounds, responsible for the flavor and color of the grapes, but also for resistance to diseases.
Biostimulants have become essential allies in the fight against climate change. By promoting an increase in agricultural yields while preserving quality criteria, these agronomic additives enable good crop growth. Their judicious application by professional users contributes to more sustainable and resilient agriculture.
Biostimulant: a solution to fight global warming?
In viticulture, biostimulants are used in two ways:
- By integrating them completely and systematically into a fertilization program ;
- By using them as supplements during periods of the growth cycle that are a little more critical.
In both cases, their use has shown a real positive impact on the resistance of the vines to increasingly harsh climatic conditions. Biostimulants based on plant extracts, developed by the ADAMA company, lead to a reduction in wilting and yellowing of leaves (up to 50%). Still other brands, such as Vitality or Bioboon, demonstrate the effectiveness of biostimulants in combating frost , heatstroke, drought, and even water stress in wine estates.
Biostimulants play a crucial role in growing grapes in production, providing an effective solution to counter the harmful effects of climate change. By promoting plant development and acting as stress relievers, these yield enhancers allow winegrowers to optimize the health of their vines while improving the quality of the grapes. Thanks to their targeted action, biostimulants help to strengthen the resilience of vineyards in the face of increasingly extreme climatic conditions.
On the other hand, it should be noted that this type of product is rather expensive, and is therefore not accessible to all winegrowers. Usage can also have an impact on the price of the wine , which is an essential criterion to take into account.
The use of biostimulants in the vineyard proves itself on a daily basis, but will these natural products be sufficient to cope with global warming? Other measures must be taken, and if biostimulants remain promising for winegrowers, they should not be considered as the miracle solution to deal with climatic difficulties.
