Climate change is threatening the resilience of viticulture. Increasingly extreme weather events such as late frost, hail, heavy rainfall and heat are already a reality today. Rising temperatures and shifts in the ripening phases are changing the berry constituents and affecting the yield and geographical distribution of suitable growing areas.
Vitiforestry (= Planting trees and shrubs in the vineyard) as an alternative cultivation system that also promotes biodiversity offers a possible adaptation strategy. This is because agroforestry systems are a promising approach to increasing the resilience of production facilities. They have great potential to create more stable microclimates, balance nutrient and water balances and promote below- and above-ground diversity. Currently, there are few references on agroforestry systems in viticulture, especially for Swiss climate zones.
The focus of this project is on investigating the interaction of different tree species on the vines in their surrounding. It is being investigated how trees influence the supply of water and nutrients to the vines, as well as the temperature balance. This project should provide initial results and allow an outlook on the future benefits of established Vitiforestry systems.
