Bob Betts proudly shows a well-aggregated clod from a cover cropped area (left) and a compacted clod from a non-cover cropped area (right).
Betts Farms in Westfield, NY, grows 185 acres of Concord grapes and has been working on breaking the mold of how the space between their Concord grape rows (middle rows) is managed for over a decade. The standard practice in Concord grape production is to burn down all living grass and weeds in late spring to ensure optimum fertility for the Concord grapes, which typically produce twice the yield of wine grape varieties. But this practice is slowly changing.
Growers like the Betts are establishing cover crops in the middle row space to alleviate soil compaction, reduce erosion, build soil organic matter, and foster life in the soil. Initially, the Betts were motivated to plant cover crops because they were worried about the negative effects of soil compaction on infiltration of water, root proliferation, and vine productivity. But they soon realized that cover crops were providing additional benefits for soil structure and the biological health of the soil.
In 2011, Betts Farms decided to try cover crops in a 5-acre block of their vineyard before expanding across the whole farm. After a few years of experimenting, the Betts were convinced and decided to incorporate cover crops on all 185 acres.