A study based on about 500 soil samples collected in eight municipalities in the Serra Gaúcha region of Brazil has produced new technical recommendations for liming and fertilization in vineyards. The research was carried out between November 2023 and November 2025 and may affect more than 30,000 hectares of vineyards by aligning nutritional management with the characteristics of local soils.
The study was funded by the Institute for Management, Planning and Development of Viticulture of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Consevitis-RS) with an investment of R$699,000 (US$8,420). Researchers analyzed soil profiles that are common in the Serra Gaúcha region. Previous recommendations were based on broader manuals covering soils across Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, which sometimes differed from conditions found in the field.
According to agricultural engineer Gabriel Almeida da Silva from the Viticulture sector of Consevitis-RS, the new work focuses on regional soil conditions. "With the new technical bulletin, the guidelines now consider the predominant soils of the Serra Gaúcha region more directly, which generates greater reliability when defining the doses of lime and fertilizers for vineyard establishment," he explains.
The research indicates that nutritional management influences vineyard development. "Excessive or insufficient fertilization creates imbalances in the plant. Vineyards with balanced nutritional management produce healthier fruits with a better concentration of nutrients and compounds, which also favors the quality of wines, sparkling wines, and juices made from these grapes," he emphasizes.
The technical bulletin containing the recommendations is available through the Vitivinicultural Observatory. The guidelines are intended to be applied with the supervision of an agricultural engineer or agricultural technician and should be based on soil analysis for each property.
Based on the results of the study, researchers are preparing a second phase of the project. This phase is expected to expand recommendations to additional nutrients and evaluate plant response to fertilizer quantities used in maintenance fertilization. The objective is to further develop the technical basis supporting vineyard nutritional management in Serra Gaúcha.
Source: Globo Rural / Abrafrutas
