The Utiel-Requena Designation of Origin (DO) held its Winegrowing Day last week, a training event specifically for winegrowers and wineries within the DO. Cover crops were the central focus of the day, providing an ideal opportunity to observe them firsthand.
First, participants visited the experimental plot of the Lucio Gil Fagoaga Foundation. There, researchers Ignacio Buesa and Daniel Sacristán from CIDE-CSIC-UV-GVA explained that they are investigating different soil management strategies through the Intermed Project.
This project focuses on developing sustainable agricultural practices aimed at improving soil quality and functionality, as well as promoting more efficient water use through a combination of leguminous and grass cover crops. They are also comparing these cover crops with traditional soil management practices in the area, such as tillage.
Following this, the attendees traveled to Finca Calderón, where they could observe the cover crops that the winery has been managing for several years.
The day concluded with a presentation by regenerative viticulture specialist Josep Ramón Sainz de la Maza, followed by a round table discussion. The speaker was joined by two researchers from CIDE-CSIC-UV-GVA and representatives from two wineries within the DO (Designation of Origin) that are experimenting with cover crops: Manuel Olmo, manager of Raíces Ibéricas, and Pablo Carrión, winemaker at Bodegas y Viñedos Escuadra. The discussion was moderated by Diego Intrigliolo, director of CIDE-CSIC-UV-GVA.
In summary, these sessions provided information on cover crops and their potential effects on water balance, soil nutrition and quality, and the agronomic and socioeconomic performance of vineyards and winegrowers.
