A new LIFE VineAdapt leaflet summarises the results of the international project across all countries. Anyone who wants to get a brief overview of the results of the individual work packages will find a clear summary. The layman's report is available in English, German, French and Hungarian. It can be downloaded here.
More than 60 representatives from winegrowing practice, science, associations and authorities recently came together at the Weinberghotel Edelacker in Freyburg (Unstrut). The occasion was the presentation of the results of the international viticulture project LIFE VineAdapt, which is now coming to a successful end after five years. Since 2020, the eight project partners from France, Austria, Hungary and Germany have been investigating how viticulture can adapt to climate change.
In his welcoming address, State Secretary Gert Zender from the Ministry for Economy, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt emphasised that winegrowers are well aware of the need to adapt to climate change. He described the LIFE VineAdapt project as a ‘stroke of luck’ for the Saale-Unstrut region. It is about practical solutions that the state of Saxony-Anhalt would like to continue to promote and support.
Among other things, the project partners researched the greening of vineyard alleys with flowering wild plants, alternatives to mineral fertilisation and chemical-synthetic pesticides as well as various irrigation methods. In all project regions, there were more plant species in the vineyards planted with wild plants than in the control vineyards. These plants attracted significantly more wild bees and beneficial insects, particularly in Germany. However, appropriate care management is important. There were no differences in yield and grape quality between the biodiverse and the control vineyards.
In the under-vine area, mechanical soil cultivation using a mower with a brush attachment proved to be the most effective and economical alternative to the use of herbicides. There were few differences between mineral and organic fertilisation methods, e. g. in terms of grape health. In France, irrigation led to less coverage of the vineyard alleys with flowering plants, which is why beneficial insects that depend on flowers, such as ladybirds, were less common in the irrigated vineyards. Soil organisms, however, benefited from the irrigation.
The participants were given a practical insight into the establishment and maintenance of a biodiversity vineyard during an excursion to the Pfortenser Köppelberg vineyard at the Kloster Pforta state winery. Vineyard manager Dietrich Frank and his colleague Anne Hauschild demonstrated the appropriate techniques for preparing the soil and sowing. Dr Daniel Elias and Lea Sieg from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences explained the plant and animal species that have been identified as well as the care management. Project coordinator Isabel Reuter from Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH added: ‘In all partner countries, winegrowers were trained in corresponding workshops and excursions. And visitors to the project regions will find information boards in the vineyards that draw attention to the project.’
In addition to the Saale-Unstrut wine-growing region, the project area includes the French wine-growing region of Luberon, the Austrian wine-growing region of Südsteiermark and the Hungarian wine-growing region of Eger/Tokaj. The project is funded by the European environmental programme LIFE and the Ministry for Economy, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt. Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH acts as the coordinating partner.
If you have any questions about biodiversity-promoting viticulture, please contact Dietrich Frank at the Kloster Pforta state winery (phone: 034463 30021, e-mail: frank(at)kloster-pforta.de).
Photos: © Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH
The presentations, which were presented at the final conference on 29 April 2025, are now available on this website under Material.
At the final conference, we would like to present our results and recommendations for climate-adapted and biodiversity-friendly viticulture.
The event itself is free of charge. For further questions, please contact the project coordinator Ms. Isabel Reuter (phone: +49 (0) 391 7361712, e-mail: reuter.i(at)lgsa.de).
The educational film on planting species-rich flower strips is now available. It shows winegrowers step by step how to implement them. Prof. Dr. Anita Kirmer from the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and winemaker Jochen Born from Weingut Born also explain the benefits of planting with site-adapted wild plants, the best time to sow and the technology used.
Watch the video here.
We wish everyone a good start to the new year 2025! A calendar from the LIFE VineAdapt project is also available. Impressive photos show the diversity of flora and fauna in the project vineyards in Austria, Hungary, France and Germany. This year sees the conclusion of the international viticulture project. We invite all interested parties to the final conference on 29 and 30 April 2025 at the Weinberghotel Edelacker in Freyburg/Unstrut. Further information can be found on this page.
Click here for the 2025 calendar.
A new LIFE VineAdapt leaflet summarises the initial results of the international project across all countries. It also provides insights into workshops with winegrowers from all project regions on possible measures for adapting viticulture to climate change. The new leaflet is primarily aimed at decision-makers in politics and administration who can help to create appropriate framework conditions and incentives for climate-adapted and biodiversity-friendly viticulture. The leaflet is available in English, German, French and Hungarian. It can be downloaded here.
An educational film about planting species-rich flower strips in vineyards was recently made as part of the LIFE VineAdapt project. Prof Dr Anita Kirmer from the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and winegrower Jochen Born from the Born vineyard showed the filmmaker the sowing mixtures and explained the sowing technique. The multilingual educational film will be finished by the end of the year and will be available on this website. The aim is to give winegrowers a practical impression of the methods trialled in the project and to encourage them to use them too.
Photo: © Lea Sieg
From 22 to 25 July, project partners from Hungary, France, Germany and Austria from the VineAdapt Life project met in southern Styria on the grounds of the Training Centre for Viticulture and Fruit Growing in Silberberg.
After arriving on Monday, the Styrian State Winery Silberberg, the Raumberg-Gumpenstein Federal Institute of Higher Education and Research and BioErnte Steiermark were presented on Tuesday morning. This was followed by a tour of a young plantation that had been planted with species-rich greenery as part of the project and an existing plantation with very good greening success. The participants were impressed by the cultivation of the steep slopes and the traditional craft of hand-picking. In the afternoon, the internal project meeting was held in hybrid form. The first day was rounded off appropriately with a tour of a wine cellar and tasting in Silberberg, followed by a visit to a wine tavern.
On 24 July, the practical day for the Life VineAdapt project ‘Biodiversity and Greening Management in Viticulture’ was held in Silberberg. In addition to the group of project partners, around 40 winegrowers from all over Austria, consultants from various areas related to viticulture and other interested visitors took part. Conference participants from Slovenia and South Tyrol were also welcomed.
In the morning, specialist presentations provided information on the establishment and preservation of biodiversity through species-rich permanent greening in viticulture, the connection between microbial diversity in the soil and resilient viticulture and the promotion of beneficial insects through species-rich wild plant greening. In the afternoon, the extensive machine demonstration on site at the Glaser vineyard provided an opportunity for professional dialogue. The machines presented were used to develop an optimal maintenance concept for species-rich vegetation in the central reservation in Silberberg. The plan is to maintain these in the long term through management and to create future young plants with species-rich flower strips.
On Thursday, an excursion was organised for the project partners to visit an oil mill and two organic wineries on the South Styrian Wine Route. The international week of events organised as part of the Life VineAdapt.t project ended with a meal together in a wine tavern.
Photos: © HBLFA
Editor Tino Wiemeier from MDR television and his team had signed up to present the LIFE VineAdapt project in a series on the topic of ‘Biodiversity’. At Pfortenser Köppelberg, Prof. Dr Anita Kirmer from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences explained to the television team that the wild plants sown in the vineyard alleys, such as meadow widow's-wort, St John's wort and chicory, have significantly increased biodiversity in the vineyard. The MDR team was able to observe and film wild bees, butterflies and hoverflies live. Jörg Erdmann, Managing Director of the Kloster Pforta State Winery, was delighted with the colourful plants, which also protect the soil from erosion and dehydration.
During another film sequence in the wine cellar, project coordinator Isabel Reuter from Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH drew attention to the ‘Biodiverse Viticulture’ label. All winegrowers who are involved in the LIFE VineAdapt project and have sown wild plant mixtures in their vineyards may use the label on bottle labels or as bottle tags. Jörg Erdmann from Landesweingut Kloster Pforta will be happy to provide the relevant material (contact: erdmann@kloster-pforta.de).
The report on the LIFE VineAdapt project is expected to be broadcast on Tuesday, 23 July 2024, 7 p.m. on MDR television in the programme ‘Sachsen-Anhalt heute’.
To the photos:
Picture above: Jörg Erdmann, Tino Wiemeier and Prof Dr Anita Kirmer (from left) at Pfortenser Köppelberg © Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH
Picture below: Prof Dr Anita Kirmer being interviewed in a flowering vineyard lane © Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH
The Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment of Saxony-Anhalt, Prof Dr Armin Willingmann, recently visited the LIFE VineAdapt project areas at the Born vineyard near Höhnstedt. The coordinator at Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH, Isabel Reuter, presented the project. Minister Prof Dr Willingmann particularly praised the integration of theory and practice. Representatives of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences showed the minister the greening of the vineyard lanes, which was in full bloom. Of the 40 plant species that were sown, 38 have been established - a very good result. Prof. Dr Anita Kirmer pointed out that there are significantly more beneficial insects such as ladybirds, hoverflies and spiders in the vineyards planted with site-adapted wild plants than in the control vineyards planted with grass. Winegrower Jochen Born, who has been involved in the project since the beginning, explained that he no longer uses insecticides in his vineyards.
The Hungarian partners of the international LIFE VineAdapt project welcomed a prominent guest. Minister President Dr Reiner Haseloff had the research conducted by the Institute of Organic Agriculture ÖMKI explained to him. The scientists were able to prove that wild bees, for example, are significantly more likely to be found in vineyards with flower strips. At the meeting in Budapest, Isabel Reuter, project coordinator at Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt, also presented further project results. The Minister President also had a dialogue with a local winegrower who is involved in the project.
Our photo:
Seed mixtures for flower strips in vineyards were shown to Minister President Dr Reiner Haseloff in Budapest (from left to right: Robert Zeßner, German Embassy in Hungary; Isabel Reuter, Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH; Minister President Dr Reiner Haseloff; Dr Tamás Miglécz, Dr László Mezőfi, both ÖMKI; State Secretary Dr Jürgen Ude; Dr Dóra Drexler, Head of ÖMKI; Zoltán Szoboszlay, winegrower)
The Central German wine industry met in Naumburg at the beginning of February 2024. Around 100 winegrowers and representatives from associations and politics, such as Sven Schulze, Minister of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of Saxony-Anhalt, learnt about current developments in viticulture in the region. Oliver Brand from Landesweingut Kloster Pforta presented the LIFE VineAdapt project - sustainable viticulture to adapt to climate change - at an information stand. Among other things, the winegrowers were interested in the regional seed mixtures that are being sown in the alleys of the experimental vineyards as part of the project. Oliver Brand therefore also handed out small sowing samples as a test, which were gladly taken away.
Future TecDay is a specialist conference for new technologies in viticulture. Around 60 students and practitioners attended the diverse presentations at the State Teaching and Research Centre for Viticulture and Fruit Growing in Weinsberg in January 2024. Jens Eckner from Landesweingut Kloster Pforta and Janik Schäfer from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences were also there. They presented the LIFE VineAdapt project - sustainable viticulture to adapt to climate change. Interesting discussions also took place on the other presentation topics, such as experiences from the field of agricultural PV and PS robots and the use of drones in viticulture.
We wish everyone a good start to the new year 2024! A new calendar from the LifeVineAdapt project is available. Impressive photos show the diversity of flora and fauna in the project vineyards.
Click here for the 2024 calendar.
