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Gus Visits Les Collines Vineyard

Submitted by Jim Loiland, Soil Conservationist, Walla Walla

State Conservationist Gus Hughbanks visited Les Collines Vineyard in Walla Walla on Tuesday July 31. During the brief visit, Gus learned about the complexities of wine grape production.  Highlighted during the visit was the vineyards’ use of organic compost and pest and irrigation water management to promote the quality of wine grapes.  Quality is the key in the Walla Walla Valley vineyards as production is generally held down to 1 1/3 to 2 tons per acre.  Grapes are sold to the winery (their own or competitors) on a per acre basis, not by the ton.

Les Collines credits much of their success on the use of organic compost as a soil amendment and nutrient source.  They produce their own compost mulch at a related facility using agricultural by products (grass seed straw, off quality alfalfa hay, alfalfa seed straw, chipped cull forest trees, lawn clippings, tree trimmings, leaves, and dried feedlot manure).  These waste products are ground, mixed with lime, humic acid, a compost tea, and other micronutrients, brought up to the correct per cent moisture , and composted in an open air facility.  The compost is then allowed to reach maximum biological activity, releasing heat and moisture.  Once fully composted, the compost is dried down to a specific moisture content to reduce transportation and storage costs, while maintaining biological activity and viability.  Les Collines applies compost to all wine grape acres, pre-plant, in an 18 inch deep trench at about 2 tons per acre. Post planting treatments, in subsequent years are applied to reach indicated levels of nutrients following a soil test in each block and soil type.  The result is healthy soils producing healthy plants that are more tolerant to disease, pests and climatic extremes than those grape plants not supported by a healthy soil.

Managing two vineyards within view of one another, but, with major rainfall and soil differences has led the management to be very flexible in both nutrient and water management.  One vineyard receives barely 11 inches of annual rainfall, while the home vineyard receives over 20 inches of rainfall.  Les Collines has a complete weather station in both vineyards.  Collines utilize remote sensing technologies to couple the weather stations and moisture monitoring sensors placed at 6, 12 and 18 or 24 inches soil depth to project watering needs remotely for each block.  All water can be managed electronically by the vineyard manager, from turning on pumps and valves to watching infiltration rates and depths.  However, the key to moisture and nutrient management, they say is still, the man in the field.

Les Collines relies on all the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).  All field hands are cross trained by the consulting agronomist to scout for insect and diseases.  The consultant is personally in the vineyard daily scouting and monitoring pest and disease levels as well as beneficial insect levels.  Even with the use of pesticides, the vineyard is certified as sustainable.  As such, ground covers are allowed to get ragged, look weedy and somewhat out of hand, diseases are allowed to exist but not to explode. The agronomist insists that healthy plants can tolerate a level of disease that would devastate plants which are not healthy.  Host plants, (wild roses and chicory) are planted and maintained to assist insect predators in maintaining healthy populations.  Cover crops of Sudan grass to reduce nitrate levels, balance water content, and increase organic matter in the soil are used before planting grapes.

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