VITI-FORST

Inspiration

Viticulture is an important socio-economic factor for Luxembourg and the climate has a high impact on viticulture, as it influences the microclimate, physiology of vines, and yield and wine quality. Higher temperatures, drier summers and increasing extreme events due to climate change are posing new challenges to viticulture. One adaptation strategy that could be employed to maintain the typicity of Luxembourgish wines is to plant trees in vineyards. Indeed, winegrowers are increasingly interested in this approach, however, to date, its effects are not well known as there have been few international projects on viti-forestry.

Innovation

VITI-FORST will be the starting point for a long-term series of measurements, to be taken as the trees grow, with the aim of giving data-based recommendations to Luxembourgish winegrowers.

In the framework of this project, LIST researchers will monitor the microclimate within the vineyard by installing fully equipped weather stations. Furthermore, major fungal diseases and sunburn damage to grapes will be assessed, as disease and sunburn severity could be affected by the trees.The phenology of the vines will be assessed weekly.

The impact on yield and potential wine quality will be determined by weekly maturity measurements from the beginning of the ripening period, and by assessing the yield per vine, total soluble solids and acidity at harvest.

Impact

The planted Viti-forest at the Domaine L&R Kox will serve as a demonstration vineyard for all interested winegrowers in Luxembourg. The results of the project can support winegrowers in their decision-making and planning of a Viti-forestry project.

Strategies to adapt to climate change are of the highest importance for winegrowers. If it is possible to make grapevines more resilient to climate change by cultivating trees within the vineyard, this would be of the greatest relevance for the economic sustainability of Luxembourg.

Besides the positive effects on grapevines, the cultivation of trees means a diversification of income for the winegrower, and positive effects on biodiversity, especially in the soil are expected. For this reason, in the long run, biodiversity should also be assessed in follow-up projects.