Partners of the LIFE VineAdapt project have published a scientific article entitled Effect of spontaneous vegetation on beneficial arthropods in mediterranean vineyards. The article is available in the section Material > Scientific contributions.
The French project partners from the University of Avignon and the Marrenon wine cooperative organized a varied excursion for the guests from Hungary and Germany. In addition to visiting selected greening and irrigation trial areas, the program also included a visit to the winery in Bonnieux and the Marrenon wine cooperative in La Tour-d'Aigues. Besides, winemaker Romain Doll provided insights into his work and farm philosophy, which focuses on soil conservation.
Also part of the excursion was a course with the financial expert Barbora Patockova of the company Ernst & Young, commissioned by the EU, as well as a discussion on the current project status. In the last months, among other things, all the information boards and signs were installed, the complete database of demonstration sites was put online, the label "Biodiverse Winegrowing" was presented and the socio-economic surveys were completed. In addition, the partners presented the project at several international conferences, amongst others in Australia and Greece.
The 27 partner wineries of the LIFE VineAdapt project are now online under "Locations". For some wineries, links lead to their websites for further information. We very much appreciate that the wineries are part of the project and make their land available for project activities such as the greening of vineyard alleys, research into alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides and to mineral fertiliser as well as different irrigation methods. Finally, for biodiversity- and climate-friendly viticulture, adaptation of management is essential.
In addition, the website has been restructured in some places. Under the heading "News", for example, an archive was added that contains older news articles. The project goal, expected results and the description of the work packages are now centrally located under "Project". The complete project material, whether flyers, Power Point presentations or scientific contributions, is clearly arranged under "Material". The contacts of the project partners are listed under "Partners". We are looking forward to questions, suggestions and perhaps a closer cooperation and wish all users a lot of reading pleasure and interesting insights into our project!
Many visitors found their way to the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta for the open wine cellar days on the first weekend in August 2023. Two representatives of the LIFE VineAdapt project were also on site. Lena Schober and Isabel Reuter from the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt again conducted surveys on the project. Even the wine princesses Paula Löber (Bad Kösen) and Lea-Michelle Poppendicker (Großjena) answered the questions and thus contributed to the evaluation and further development of the project. The survey runs until 27.08.2023! You can participate here:
If you live in the Saale-Unstrut region (i.e. in the Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis, in Bad Sulza or in Dornburg-Camburg), follow this link: https://arcg.is/0jyavO
If you are a guest of the Saale-Unstrut region (i.e. do not live in the Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis, in Bad Sulza or in Dornburg-Camburg), follow this link: https://arcg.is/10ejKn1
The new label "Biodiverse Viticulture" of the LIFE VineAdapt project may be used by winegrowers who sow certified and regionally adapted wild plant mixtures in the vineyard alleys. For all those who enjoy wine, it offers guidance when choosing a wine and creates transparency. Because by buying wines that carry the label, they support climate- and biodiversity-friendly viticulture.
At the presentation of the new label on the Eulauer Heideberg, Naumburg's mayor Armin Müller was delighted that flowering strips now also increase biodiversity in the vineyards. Project coordinator from the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt Isabel Reuter added: "The greening of vineyard alleys with wild plant mixtures has several advantages. It protects the soil from erosion, e.g. during heavy rainfall, and from drying out. In addition, wild plants such as corn poppy, chicory and agrimony attract insects that attack pests in the vineyard." Jens Eckner from the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta pointed out that the wild plant mixture is specially adapted to the Saale-Unstrut region. The robust plants do not take any water off the wine. Janik Schäfer from the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, which is also involved in the project, confirmed that there are significantly more insects in vineyards that have been planted with vegetation in this way.
In the Saale-Unstrut region, around 20 winegrowers are involved in the project, in addition to the Kloster Pforta state winery. They offer their vineyards for sowing and accompany the measures. With the new free label, they can now point out their commitment. Bottle tags are available, but also a digital version of the logo, which can be printed on labels and published on the internet. In addition, a leaflet is available to raise awareness of the project among other winegrowers and to inform wine lovers about the new label. Bottle tags and leaflets are also available in the languages of the other project partners, who use them to award the participating wineries in their respective countries.
If winegrowers are interested, they can contact Jens Eckner from the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta (phone: 034463 30021, e-mail: eckner(at)kloster-pforta.de).
Click here for the BLK Regional TV report on the occasion of the presentation of the new label: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Z-oJXteXk
The international LIFE VineAdapt project is investigating how viticulture can adapt to climate change. Frequent droughts in summer, short, heavy rainfalls and the immigration of new pests require solutions. The LIFE VineAdapt project aims to help make viticulture fit for climate change. The links take you to a short survey on the project. The survey is in German.
If you live in the Saale-Unstrut region (i.e. in the Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis, in Bad Sulza or in Dornburg-Camburg), follow this link: https://arcg.is/0jyavO
If you are a guest of the Saale-Unstrut region (i.e. do not live in the Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis, in Bad Sulza or in Dornburg-Camburg), follow this link: https://arcg.is/10ejKn1
Thank you for supporting the evaluation and further development of the international research project of the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH and seven other project partners with your answers!
For many, it is simply part of Whitsun: the wine mile between Bad Kösen and Naumburg. About 20,000 people make their way from winery to winery every year. The walk is combined with the enjoyment of regional wines and a colorful entertainment program.
A fixed stop on the wine mile is the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta. Johanna Weinreiter and Isabel Reuter from the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH were present there this year to ask guests' opinions about the LIFE VineAdapt project. The answers will be used for the evaluation and further development of the project. Among other things, it is about the level of knowledge and attitudes of the guests to the measures implemented in the project.
The guests could participate online or also by printed questionnaire. The questionnaires will also be available to the general public shortly.
Warmer winters, hot and dry summers, local heavy rainfall: winegrowers also have to deal with the challenges of climate change. Earlier budbreak after a mild winter, for example, poses the threat of late frost, which can cause considerable damage to the vines. During long dry periods, they are more often under drought stress, which results in less berries forming, and other problems. Heavy rain can wash away the soil and an overall milder climate favours the immigration of new pests.
The international LIFE VineAdapt project aims to provide practical insights to make viticulture fit for climate change. Increasing biodiversity and adapting vineyard management are crucial for this. Eight practice and research partners from Germany, France, Austria and Hungary have joined forces in the project. It is co-financed with funds from the European environmental programme LIFE and the Ministry of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of Saxony-Anhalt. The Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH acts as coordinating partner.
The interim results of the project were recently presented at an international workshop in Saxony-Anhalt. In addition, prominent experts gave a wide range of presentations on sustainable viticulture. In addition, winegrowers and representatives of winegrowing associations, scientific institutions and authorities finally worked out recommendations for climate-adapted viticulture.
After the informative presentation on 19.04.2023, work will now continue on the basis of the insights gained. In the next step, winegrowers, representatives of winegrowing associations, scientists and decision-makers will develop recommendations for climate-adapted and biodiversity-friendly viticulture in Europe. Interested parties who could not attend the first part are also welcome! At the beginning of the workshop, the presentations will be briefly summarised. The main topics will be the greening of vineyards, different fertilisation methods, alternatives to chemical-synthetic pesticides, irrigation and the ecosystem services of vineyards.
The event starts on Wednesday, 26.04.2023, 10.00 a.m. at the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta in Bad Kösen (Saalberge 73) and lasts until about 3.00 p.m.. Click here for the programme. Registration is possible by e-mail at reuter.i@lgsa.de.
In Hungary, the second part of the Midterm Workshop will take place on Friday, 28.04.2023 at Eszterházy Wine Estate in Eger. In Austria, the event is scheduled for Saturday, 06.05.2023 at the Landesweingut Silberberg in Leibnitz. In France, it will take place on Thursday, 11.05.2023 at the cave viticole de Bonnieux.
The technical presentations that were presented at the first part of the Mid-term Workshop are now available on this website under Material.
The LIFE VineAdapt project is now at the midterm stage. We therefore would like to invite you to the Midterm-Workshop on 19.04.2023 (presentation part, digital) and on 26.04.2023 (workshop part, at the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta in Bad Kösen). In the presentation part, experiences and findings from the project and beyond will be collected and networked. The presentations will be held in German and simultaneously translated into English (for English-speaking participants via a separate language channel). In the workshop part, the inputs from the presentations will be discussed and debated. The aim is to develop recommendations for sustainable viticulture. The workshop part in Bad Kösen will be held entirely in German. The other partner countries have their own dates for this second part of the event. Participation in only one of the two days is possible.
Click here for the programme.
Registration is possible with this form.
After registration, we will send you a link to participate in the event. For this we need an e-mail address of the participant.
The partners and the steering group of the international project LIFE VineAdapt recently met for a monitoring meeting. The project partners from France, Austria, Hungary and Germany presented their mid-term results. Cornelia Schmitz from NEEMO EEIG - Particip GmbH, a consortium commissioned by the EU to advise on and monitor LIFE projects, was thus able to get a good overview of the project status.
After a lecture part, the guests went to the vineyards. First, the guests visited the Waladala vineyard in Bernburg, an experimental vineyard of the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Dr. Dieter Orzessek, retired rector of the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, manages it voluntarily. Another stop was a vineyard of the Born winery near Höhnstedt close to the Süßen See lake. Elisabeth and Jochen Born have been participating in the LIFE VineAdapt project since 2021. As part of the project, the vineyard alleys in the participating vineyards were greened. Cichorium intybus, Papaver dubium, Centaurea jacea and others create a colourful picture between the vines in summer. But these plants do not only look beautiful. They attract insects that kill pests and pollinate other plants. Through their roots, the plants strengthen the soil to prevent it from being washed away easily during heavy rain. In addition, a vegetation cover between the vines protects the soil from severe drying out.
First project results now show that biodiversity is significantly higher in vineyards planted with wild plants. The testing of alternatives to chemical-synthetic pesticides showed that mechanical treatment is the most effective and cheapest option. Mulchers are used to push back unwanted plants. Surprising interim results were obtained on the subject of irrigation. In irrigated vineyards, the cover of flowering plants was lower for the time being, as was the occurrence of some insects that depend on flowering plants. No clear findings have yet been made in the area of alternative fertilisation methods. Further studies with different fertilisers are necessary. The aim is to make vineyards more biologically diverse and fit for climate change.
The overall project will run until June 2025 and is funded by the EU through the LIFE programme. The Ministry of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of Saxony-Anhalt is providing the co-financing for the German partners Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, the State Winery Kloster Pforta and the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH.
The LIFE project partners of the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt visited the Future Forum on Rural Development, which took place during the International Green Week in Berlin.
The Future Forum was organised by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. A total of 32 expert forums took place under the general headline "Land.Kann.Klima. - Climate protection and climate adaptation in rural regions".
The forums were dealing with topics such as climate change, the creation of value through climate protection, digital support for climate adaptation and the strengthening of voluntary work for climate protection.
In addition to the expert presentations, there was also the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with various stakeholders from all over Germany and also to promote the LIFE VineAdapt project and its contribution to sustainability.
We wish everyone a good start into the new year 2023! We have produced a calendar of the LifeVineAdapt project for this year. The calendar contains impressive photos showing the diversity of flora and fauna in the project vineyards.
Click here for the 2023 calendar.
On 12 June 2022, the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) visited us at the vineyard "Eulauer Heideberg" near Naumburg and followed our work. It is high season for wild bees and other insects, which could be observed in large numbers in the flowering vine alleys. Lea Schubert (Anhalt University of Applied Sciences) and Jens Eckner (Kloster Pforta Winery) gave a short insight into our project.
The article can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N7dau2wnxLurRfV5dWaS4j3nkB8Tq9vF/view?usp=sharing
In the second year of the project, the international project partners were finally able to meet on site in a partner country. The goal of the three-day trip were the project sites in Hungary.
During the first tour, the two demonstration areas Hétszölö and Disznókö in Tokaj were visited. Afterwards, during a meeting at the Gróf Degenfeld Hotel, the upcoming tasks, deadlines and milestones as well as further financial planning were discussed. The day was rounded off with a guided tour of the wine cellar and a tasting of the sweet wine specialties of the von Degenfeld family, who runs a completely organic viticulture on their vineyard in Tarcal.
The following day gave the opportunity to visit the Eszterházy and Bence Soóváry demonstration plots in Eger.
All participants took advantage of the opportunity and had a lively exchange about current research results and project-relevant news during the trip, or got into conversation with the local winemakers and scientists.
The LIFE VinEcos project was named best project in the "Climate Protection" category of this year's LIFE Awards.
According to the jury, the project made an outstanding contribution to environmental, economic and social progress. It was also outstanding in terms of impact, replicability, policy relevance, cross-border cooperation and cost-effectiveness.
Prof. Anita Kirmer (Anhalt University of Applied Sciences) and Lydia Hohlstein (Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH) accepted the award and once again highlighted the relevance of biodiversity for the viticulture ecosystem.
The winner of the category "Nature" was the project LIFE-Kedros from Cyprus, in the category "Environment" the Italian project Clean Sea LIFE won. Furthermore, a LIFE Citizens' Prize as well as a LIFE and Natura 2000 award were given.
Here are some more links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0LME4jusLQ&list=PLKuLiQigqrCkkCSNd4rkSk9-F4WS8mhKU&index=4
https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-225742
The LIFE VinEcos project (2016-2020) has done valuable preparatory work for the current LIFE VineAdapt project and is now once again in the spotlight, as it has been nominated as one of the 12 finalists for the LIFE AWARDS 2022 and is also the only project in Germany to have made it to the finalists! The LIFE Award is a very special award for outstanding projects within the EU-wide LIFE funding programme. You can find more information at www.lifeawards.eu
What was the LIFE project VinEcoS about?
Extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and long periods of drought are becoming increasingly common as a result of climate change and are also affecting viticulture. With the LIFE VinEcoS project, the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt, the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta, the JENA-GEOS® engineering office and the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences set themselves the goal of significantly increasing biodiversity in vineyards in the Saale-Unstrut wine region by planting drought-resistant wild plant species in vineyard alleys and thus significantly strengthening the resilience of this ecosystem. Compared to conventional grass seeding, the diverse vegetation ensures more effective erosion control and represents less water competition to the vines. The flower-rich vegetation provides nectar and pollen sources for wild bees and other beneficial insects and delights vintners and recreationists with its colourful flowering aspect.
Until 29 May 2022, you can cast your vote for our LIFE VinEcos project under the link https://www.lifeawards.eu/project/life-vinecos/.
Thank you very much for your support!
Recently, project managers of the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt, the Landesweingut and the Hochscule Anhat met with Gert Zender, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry Saxony-Anhalt, winegrowers and representatives from politics and administration to inform about the current status of the project LIFE VineAdapt in the Eulau vineyard of the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta.
The State Secretary, coming from the Moselle, emphasized in his greeting the importance of the wine project for the Saale-Unstrut region. "The project, financially supported by the state of Saxony-Anhalt, is dedicated to current issues of the day. Adaptation to climate change and the preservation of biodiversity are playing an increasingly important role in the state's viticulture as well" emphasized Zender. He praised the international cooperation in the EU project and expressed his pleasure about the active participation of 20 regional winegrowers in the project.
Subsequently, the state winery Kloster Pforta and the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences informed about first promising results. For example, the number of plant species within the biodiversity vineyards has more than doubled and the number of selected species is also significantly higher in the biodiversity vineyards than in the conventionally planted control vineyards.
In addition to interesting technical presentations, there was also time for a walk-through of the demonstration plots and for various discussions on the sidelines.
The LIFE project "Sustainable Viticulture for Adaptation to Climate Change" (LIFE VineAdapt) has now been able to convince 14 winegrowers from the Saale-Unstrut wine region to sow species-rich and regional wild plant seed mixtures in their vineyards and thus contribute to more biodiversity and climate protection.
After one year of the project, the Landgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt, the Landesweingut Kloster Pforta and the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences invited the winegrowing colleagues of the Saale-Unstrut wine region to an exchange of experiences. Also present was the viticulture consultant of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, Mr. Lolies. The meeting on 7.09.2021 took place on very historical ground: the EULAU Heideberg was first mentioned in 890 in the Hersfeld tithe register.
The meeting served to exchange experiences so far in the project on viticulture methods adapted to climate change, to present initial results and to jointly discuss the way forward.
In addition to the technical discussions on wild bees, flowering mixtures, care dates and yields this year, the result of a survey conducted with all participating winegrowers on a joint marketing strategy in the project was presented.
The project is co-financed with funds from the European environmental program LIFE and the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Energy.
Time is flying by. The first 12 months of LIFE VineAdapt are already behind us. While the first weeks were mainly characterized by preparatory measures, we were able to really get started with the field trials at the beginning of the current vegetation period.
In the meantime, site-adapted wild plant mixtures have been sown in the trial vineyards in Germany, Austria and Hungary, and France will soon follow. The first rounds of the necessary vegetation and faunistic studies have largely been completed.
With a view to developing biodiversity-friendly understory management, Austrian colleagues have begun testing different forms of treatment: mechanical brushing, spraying of acetic and pelargonic acid. Germany will follow next year.
To use resource-efficient fertilization methods, the block trial was set up in Germany. Fertilization has now been carried out in 4 variants.
Trials on resource-efficient irrigation have also started successfully. The block trial has been installed in Germany; experimental vineyards have been selected in both Germany and France. The first analyses on vegetation, fauna and soil are available.
Here you can follow how our project develops in the coming years and what results we achieve! Feel free to check back regularly and contact us.
