Cover crops can do more than fight weeds and improve the health of vineyard soils. Growers in California are finding the right crop can also help reduce erosion, prevent leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus, and boost the environmental quotient of vineyards. That was the message farm advisor Larry Bettiga of the University of California delivered to growers during a session focusing on sustainable grape growing at the annual viticulture and enology conference hosted by the British Columbia Wine Grape Council in Penticton, Canada, last summer. The current goals of cover crops include controlling weeds, reducing the impact of farming on […]