Cover crops have many benefits in vineyard floor management, but in Washington State, especially east of the Cascade mountain range, they can be challenging to establish. Researchers are studying cover crops in an organic and conventional vineyard to see if the benefits in terms of pest control outweigh the efforts needed to establish the crop. Dr. Mercy Olmstead, viticulture extension educator for Washington State University, has a special interest in cover crops and vineyard floor management in Washington State. She did her postdoctorate thesis on the subject and recently wrote a WSU bulletin titled Floor Management in Washington State Vineyards […]