ASHS 2024 Conference

The utilization of cover crops in vineyards has been promoted for their role in moderating soil climate, thus enhancing vineyard resilience to extreme weather conditions. This study evaluated the effectiveness of three drive-row cover crop treatments in regulating soil moisture and temperature within an irrigated organic vineyard characterized by loamy sand soil, located in the semiarid Okanagan Valley, Canada, over the period from 2021 to 2023. Selection of cover crop species was informed by prior greenhouse and field screening experiments. The implemented treatments, established in May 2021, included a mixture of perennial ryegrass, tillage radish, and white clover (PRTRWC); a fescue mixture with white clover (FWC); cereal rye with hairy vetch (CRHV); and a Control (existing vegetation/weeds). The vineyard was equipped with drip lines and undercanopy sprinklers. Soil moisture and temperature were monitored every four hours using Teros 11 sensors at a 10 cm depth in the drive-row. Seasonal observations revealed the highest soil volumetric water content (Ɵv) from November to April, aligning with cooler temperatures and increased precipitation. The Ɵv ranged from 0.10 to 0.14 and significant differences in average Ɵv were noted among the all treatments over the three growing seasons (May to Oct), with CRHV displaying the highest levels, followed by FWC, Control, and PRTRWC. Notably, substantial differences in Ɵv (