Katherine Favor, USDA National Agroforestry Center, May 2025
Excellent paper on managing livestock and forage within vineyards. Includes detail on:
- Vineyard infrastructure modifications (fencing, raised trellis wires, modified training systems to raise shoots up and out of the way of livestock)
- Livestock selection
- Forage/cover crop selection
- Establishment
- Management (including rotational grazing)
- The benefits of adapting to and mitigating against climate change
Figure by Janine Siatkowski, USDA Forest Service
Positive interactions
- Forage covers the soil, creates a mulch layer, and keeps moisture in the ground. Hoe faction and
trampling increase residue incorporation - Forage roots can break up compacted soil and reduce runoff to improve water infiltration. Grazing
triggers root growth, enhancing potential benefits to soil health if grazing appropriately - Certain species of forages can fix nitrogen (N) and add fertility to the soil. Grazing animals enhance N cycling, adding N in the form of manure and urine and increasing microbial activity
- Forages can promote a healthy soil microbiome to cycle nutrients and maintain soil fertility. Microbial activity and diversity is often enhanced in grazed systems.
- Certain species of flowering forages can attract beneficial insects and promote integrated pest
management - Slight competition for water and nutrients can reduce vegetative growth, which helps keep a balanced canopy to allow more sunlight to reach grape clusters. Grazing can help control this balance by limiting forage growth
Negative interactions
- If forage is left unmanaged, it can compete with grapevines for nutrients, which can reduce grape
quality and production - If forage is left unmanaged, it can compete with grapevines for water, which can reduce grape quality and production
- Improper grazing can cause soil compaction, which can harm vine roots and soil health
- Improper grazing can increase soil N levels, which can lead to leaching and/or cause excess vigor in
vines
