The main objective of this study was to determine growth, yield and fruit quality of grapevines under organic and biodynamic management in relation to integrated viticultural practices. Furthermore, the mechanisms for the observed changes in growth, yield and fruit quality were investigated by determining nutrient status, physiological performance of the plants and disease incidence on bunches in three consecutive growing seasons. A field trial (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling) was set up at Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany. The integrated treatment was managed according to the code of good practice. Organic and biodynamic plots were managed according to Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 and Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 and according to ECOVIN- and Demeter-Standards, respectively. The growth and yield of the grapevines differed strongly among the different management systems, whereas fruit quality was not affected by the management system. The organic and the biodynamic treatments showed significantly lower growth and yield in comparison to the integrated treatment. The physiological performance was significantly lower in the organic and the biodynamic systems, which may account for differences in growth and cluster weight and might therefore induce lower yields of the respective treatments. Soil management and fertilization strategy could be responsible factors for these changes. Yields of the organic and the biodynamic treatments partially decreased due to higher disease incidence of downy mildew. The organic and the biodynamic plant protection strategies that exclude the use of synthetic fungicides are likely to induce higher disease incidence and might partially account for differences in the nutrient status of vines under organic and biodynamic management. Use of the biodynamic preparations had little influence on vine growth and yield. Due to the investigation of important parameters that induce changes especially in growth and yield of grapevines under organic and biodynamic management the study can potentially provide guidance for defining more effective farming systems.

Demand for organically grown crops has increased exponentially in the last few decades. Particularly in the wine sector, organic and biodynamic management systems are gaining more and more importance, with some of the most prestigious wineries converting to organic or biodynamic viticulture. The purpose of this study was to review evidence comparing effects of conventional, organic, and biodynamic viticulture on soil properties, biodiversity, vine growth and yield, disease incidence, grape composition, sensory characteristics, and wine quality. Only studies with representative field replicates or studies with a representative number of samples were included. Soil nutrient cycling was enhanced under organic viticulture, especially after conversion was completed. Cover crop mixtures used, compost application, and the absence of herbicides might be factors that account for higher biological activity in organically and biodynamically managed soils. Seventeen out of 24 studies observed a clear increase in biodiversity under organic viticulture on different trophic levels. Plant protection regime and cover crop mixtures mainly determine higher biodiversity in organic and biodynamic viticulture. Organic and biodynamic treatments showed 21% lower growth and 18% lower yield compared to conventional viticulture. The decrease of growth and yield under organic and biodynamic viticulture was not correlated to the growth or yield level under conventional viticulture. A decrease in soil moisture content and physiological performance (assimilation rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance) under organic and biodynamic viticulture is likely to be responsible for the lower growth and yield in the respective management systems. Juice total soluble solids concentration did not differ among the different management systems. No overall differences in berry composition or juice and wine quality among management systems could be observed. By describing different hypotheses concerning the effects of organic and biodynamic viticulture, this review and meta-analysis provides helpful guidance for defining further research in organic agriculture on perennial, but also on annual, crops.

Interest in sustainability has increased significantly in the wine sector in the past few years, driven by customer interest, as well as the impact of global warming-intensified weather extremes on wine growers. For a sustainable future the wine industry must design its entire value chain in such ways that it conserves and regenerates the natural environment and at the same time promotes human rights, inclusion and equality. The current paper identified five key challenges which have to be overcome in order to reach this goal: (1) climate change impact and adaptation strategies, (2) the reduction of GHG emissions and creation of carbon sinks, (3) vineyard inputs, (4) packaging and (5) social and economic sustainability. For each of these five challenges research gaps and possible solutions are presented which enable a holistic improvement of the sustainability of the whole wine value chain from the vineyard to the consumers. Examples for this are strategies to reduce the use of pesticides in the vineyard as well as carbon insetting options in the vineyard. Additionally, it is of utmost importance that every educational institution integrates facts and vision into their teaching programs in a holistic manner. Together, these approaches form the basis for a realistic sustainability vision for the global wine industry.

Vineyard soils show an increased risk of degradation due to being intensively cultivated. The preservation of soil integrity and fertility is a key concept of organic and biodynamic farming. However, both systems are also subject to criticism due to their higher amount of plant protection products used and their increased traffic intensity compared to integrated viticulture, both detrimental to soil quality. The aim of this study was therefore to assess long-term effects of these three management systems on chemical and physical soil quality parameters. For this purpose, topsoil samples were taken in a long-term field trial vineyard at different positions and examined for bulk density, available water capacity (AWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), N, pH, and for total and bioavailable copper (Cu) concentrations. Biodynamic plots had a lower bulk density and higher SOC concentration than the integrated ones, which is probably due to the species-rich cover crop mixture used in the inter-row. However, organic and biodynamic farming showed an accumulation of copper in the under-vine area and in the tractor track, which is problematic for soil fertility in the long-term. Therefore, alternatives for copper in plant protection are necessary to ensure sustainable soil quality through organic and biodynamic viticulture.

Organic and biodynamic management practices in viticulture have been sharply increasing worldwide for almost two decades and are seen as one possibility for environmentally friendly production. Consumers often presume that the quality of organically grown crops is different or higher compared to conventionally grown crops.In the current study, wine grape quality under integrated, organic and biodynamic viticulture was assessed in a long-term field trial in Geisenheim, Germany, starting seven years after conversion. Treatments substantially differed in their amino acid concentration in juice, flavonol content and their composition of hydroxycinnamic acids. Organic and biodynamic treatments showed significantly higher concentrations of all amino acids in juice and a significantly higher concentration of flavonols in berry skins. Major drivers of these changes are reductions of yield and pruning weight under organic and biodynamic management on the one hand and increased light exposure of bunches in the respective treatments on the other hand.Linking amino acid composition in juice, grape skin flavonoid and hydroxycinnamate concentration to canopy structure, vigour and yield enables growers to actively control and manipulate wine grape quality in the different management systems.