Dr. Liette Vasseur and her team are using a landscape approach to examine how increased use of native plant species in vineyards and perimeters can contribute to enhancement of ecosystem services. They will monitor soil health, water infiltration, climate regulation, and weed and pest pressure to assess the impact of enhanced biodiversity on productivity and resilience.
Research Objectives
- Identify, select and assess the use of native cover crop species as effective cover to control weeds and attract beneficials.
- Evaluate the performance (growth, herbivory, berry composition, physiology) of grape vines and influence of their architecture when exposed to native cover crop species
- Determine the influence of cover crops on soil health (including nutrients, soil moisture, organic matter, and carbon)
- Identify and assess the plant and insect biodiversity of perimeters and potential influence on the vineyards
- Identify and select plant species that may bring greater benefits in terms of pest control, carbon storage, and resilience to environmental variability
- Determine the effectiveness of different types and colors of sticky traps in contributing to the control of pests
- Assess the costs and benefits of practices being tested in this project, including the potential advantage of perimeter plantings with trees
Related Resources
Progress and Results
Research Update (March 2026)
KEY TAKEAWAYS (PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS)
- Cover crop species re-established successfully in the second year; native species plots showed distinct biodiversity in contrast to ryegrass and spontaneous plots, which converged to a similar species composition.
- Monitoring will continue to assess how cover crops impact berry health and architecture.
- Preliminary observations suggest native flowering cover crops may help reduce pest pressure by attracting leafhoppers away from vines while also supporting beneficial insects such as parasitoid wasps and spiders.
- In general, native species are recommended for vineyard perimeter plantings. Exceptions include wild grape which may host viruses that can be transmitted to cultivated grapevines.
Research Update (March 2025)
KEY TAKEAWAYS (PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS)
Cover crop treatments (native plant species, ryegrass and “spontaneous”) between rows and under vine rows were established in three partnering vineyards. By August, vegetation composition surveys showed significant differences among the three cover crop treatments.
Rudbeckia and Coreopsis species flowered in the first year.
Additional Links and Resources
Blog (On-going) Brock University (Dr. Vasseur) Organic Science Cluster 4 Blog
Presentation (Apr 2026) Raisin the Bar: Exploring Multitrophic Interactions in Organic Vineyard Ecosystems
Factsheet (Mar 2026) Potential Species in Vineyard Perimeter Plantings
Poster (Feb 2026) Raisin the Bar: Exploring Ecosystem Dynamics in Organic Vineyards
Presentation (Jun 2025) to Canadian Botanical Association: Biodiversification in organic vineyards: bringing back ecosystem services
Poster (Feb 2025) The Influence of Position and Colour of Sticky Traps on Leafhopper Detection in Organic Vineyards
Poster (Feb 2025) Using native species as cover crops: Bringing new benefits in vineyards?
Poster (Feb 2025) Testing the use of native plant species in vineyards for greater resilience in the face of climatic and environmental changes
Infographics (Feb 2025) Brock University OSC4 blog (scroll to “Additional Resources”)
Article (Nov 2024) in Brock News: Harnessing nature to fight climate change impacts in vineyards
Background Information
From the research activity proposal:
Recent research suggests that crop management based on biodiversification can increase ecosystem services (e.g., pest control, climate regulation, water, and soil health), support crop productivity, soil, and plant health, and increase the resilience of the agroecosystem. Grape growers are increasingly interested in finding strategies to enhance vineyard’s long-term productivity while improving the overall ecosystem health. The market for organic or sustainable wine is also an incentive that encourages some growers to adopt these practices. The increased demand for wine products with a smaller environmental footprint (e.g., reduced loss of nutrients, lower net greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution) underscores the need to explore new management practices. Using a landscape approach, we will examine how increased native biodiversity in the vineyards and perimeters can contribute to enhancement of ecosystem services (pest management, soil health including soil carbon and organic matter) and thus improve productivity and resilience.
Cover crops in vineyards are used with positive effects on yield and/or sensory attributes and soil function. They present essential services such as water infiltration, carbon sequestration, soil nutrient supply, and weed and pest suppression. However, there are concerns over competition between cover crops and vines and the availability and price of some organic seeds. Research must introduce suitable native species and practices that are more affordable. Leafhoppers are a known pest in Ontario vineyards. To reduce pest pressure other alternatives to even biopesticides are now suggested such as the use of sticky cards. This technique is already used in China in tea plantations with some effectiveness, depending on the color of the card, as it may attract more specific species. While long bands of sticky tape have been applied in British Columbia vineyards, to our knowledge, little empirical research exists regarding its effectiveness, particularly in Ontario, or if leafhoppers have a colour preference.
The objectives of the project are to:
1) assess the use of green manure and native plant species as cover crops in vineyards (including the attraction of beneficials),
2) evaluate the influence of the vine architecture to reduce issues of pests and microclimate regulation,
3) assess the influence of perimeters and their biodiversity in reducing climatic and environmental variation and their roles as pest control,
4) determine the effectiveness of different types and colors of sticky traps in contributing to the control of pests, and
5) assess the economic importance of biodiversity and an integrated landscape in crop production, in this case grapes and wine.
The project will be conducted in three operating vineyards in Ontario, one of which will be newly established in tandem with the project. The experimental design includes working in operational conditions and assessing each vineyard as a landscape unit within its vineyard proper and the perimeters.
Contributing Partners
Meet the Research Team
Dr. Liette Vasseur
Dr. Vasseur is a full professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and an affiliate of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre at Brock University. She holds the UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global. Her research program is highly interdisciplinary and links issues such as community-based ecosystem management, climate change adaption and resilience, and sustainable agriculture and rural communities.
Activity 8 Research Team
Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
Alonso (Zavafer) Zavaleta Fernandez de Cordova | Brock University |
Joel Kits | AAFC – Ottawa RDC |
Jim Willwerth | Brock University |
Sudarsana Poojari | Brock University |
We asked Dr. Vasseur
What got you interested in this research project?
Working on sustainable agriculture, ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation and climate change, I felt that this was an important part for the Niagara region and southern Ontario. Climate change has been a major focus for me for quite a long time and I know that agriculture can adapt through better sustainable agricultural practices. Organic agriculture is an ultimate goal for better ecosystem health… leading to better human health.
Where is your research taking place?
My Research for this project is taking place in southern Ontario in three organic vineyards. However, I also work in China at the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University where we work with tea plantations that are organic and other crops where we promote sustainable agriculture. Organic farming is indeed becoming impactful in other countries like China and Australia and of great interest in Ecuador, where I also work.
What drew you to organic agriculture research?
Probably because I grew up on a farm where we tried to reduce synthetic fertilizers and pesticides but many of our neighbours were conventional. I have learned rapidly about these issues and doing my postdoc in pasture on climate change also helped me consider these issues. I even worked with AAFC staff in New Brunswick on bacterial contamination on various vegetables and fruits in both conventional and organic farms.
How are you encouraging or training the next generation of scientists?
I encourage through mentoring and being involved in the research, discussion and in the field. We also have to teach them how to work with farmers. Human interactions are important in this field. I also show the importance of teamwork and communication, not only scientific but also for the general public.
Outside of your research pursuits, what is an activity you enjoy doing in your free time?
This is kind of funny, but I love gardening and everyone in my area knows that I do organic farming at home and produce a large part of my vegetables and fruits for the year from a small backyard. Besides that, you cannot live in the Niagara region with the trails and the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere without doing hiking! Great place for outdoors activities.
