Sustainable management of an intercropped Mediterranean vineyard

• Interactions between grapevine and cover crop and their economic impact were studied.
• Perennial grass influenced positively the amount of total anthocyanins.
• The mixtures promoted a higher level of soil covering compared to the other treatments.
• The cost analysis did not show differences among soil management treatments.

In the Mediterranean area, the use of cover crops in vineyards is still debated and the results of the few scientific experiments considering the influence of cover crop on grapevine are often conflicting. This work aims at providing useful indications on sustainable management for irrigated vineyards growing in a hot and dry region. A five year study was carried out in NW Sardinia, Italy, in a 8 year old vineyard cv. Carignano. To evaluate interactions between grapevine and cover crop as well as the economic impact of intercropping, soil tillage (T1) was compared with 4 inter-row treatments: natural covering (T2), complex commercial grass–legume mixture (T3), simple experimental grass–legume mixture (T4) and perennial grass Dactilys glomerata cv Currie (T5).During the five years of the experiment, the mixtures have ensured a higher level of soil covering compared to the other treatments. Moreover, the covering and the contribution to the dry matter yield for every component of the mixtures changed drastically with an increased presence of D. glomerata. Compared to the soil tillage, the cover crops reduce the vigor but does not affect yield. Regarding fruit quality, only the perennial grass influenced positively the amount of total anthocyanins. The cost analysis has not evidenced strong differences among treatments or limiting factors for growers related to the use of cover crop in vineyards.