On the 6th February, 2025, in the education facility of the Experimental Vineyard and Winery of the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, farmers and experts met for a half-day event to discuss the topic of agroecological winegrowing practices. During the event, the researchers of the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi) and the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University shared their latest results. The workshop was moderated by Ferenc Tóth, the leader of the Horticultural Group of ÖMKi.
In the first presentation, Tamás Miglécz, research project leader of ÖMKi talked about the results of the establishment of two cover crop mixtures tested in 6 vineyards at two wine regions of Hungary (Eger and Tokaj). His results, together with the results of the next presentation indicate that higher plant biodiversity does not always have the desired effects. He also showed the results of the effect of inter-row sowing on yield, must and soil nutrients after 4 years.
Laszló Mezőfi, research project leader of ÖMKi talked about the effect of inter-row greening on beneficial arthropods and pests. According to his results, with the use of ÖMKi’s six species mixture we can increase the abundance of some predator and pollinator groups. Furthermore, the abundance of some beneficial arthropod groups, such as lacewings, can be increased even on the wine trunks. Parallel to the increased abundance of beneficial arthropods, the decreased abundance of American grapevine leafhopper could be detected in relation to inter-row sowing.
Ramóna Bíró-Kovács, the PhD student of Eszterházy Károly Catholic University talked about the effects of water scarcity on different rootstock-scion combinations. The duration of water scarcity significantly influences the time needed for regeneration in case of different rootstock-scion combinations. Thus, careful rootstock selection is vital by the planning of a given plantation. In addition, further investigation of drought induced stress is important for successful cultivation of grapes in the future.
Zoltán Szoboszlay, the winegrower of the Experimental Vineyard and Winery of the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, talked about the effects of yield thinning on must and wine quality in case of different Blaufrankisch clones. According to their results, the different Blaufrankisch clones affected wine flavour more than yield thinning. The main effect found of yield thinning on must parameters was on sugar content, which was higher on the trunks with lower vine load. Meanwhile, in case of total acid content no clear effect has been found.
After the presentations, a round-table discussion was held with the winegrowers. Everybody had the opportunity to express their thoughts on the topic of inter-row greening and the researchers reflected on the comments. Those winegrowers, who already had experiences with inter-row greening often strengthened the things the presenters talked about. Their most important motivation was to stop erosion, which is an important issue on slopy vineyards. The main concerns emerged as well, which were soil compaction, the possibility to cultivate the soil occasionally, how to fertilize and implement plant protection measures. After the discussion several farmers expressed their willingness to join our research activities and become our on-farm partner.
The event was supported by the European Union through the LIFE VineAdapt project and the AGROECOLOGY Transect projects, and with the support of the MNVH.
