Traditional viticulture typically focuses heavily on agronomic outcomes; too many inputs are being applied, lots of money is being spent, and vine health is far from optimal. Chuck Schembre, argues that there is a better way forward: harnessing the power of ecosystems for vineyard health, alongside regenerative agronomy.
In this episode, Abby and Chuck discuss regenerative agronomy in viticulture, how to avoid yield dips when transitioning to no-till, a deep-dive into cover-crops & their soil health benefits, and the power of using homemade foliars.
Chuck brings an interesting perspective; as a farmer, Certified Professional Soil Scientist, and regenerative agronomist, he bridges advanced soil and crop science with boots-on-the-ground farming across vegetable systems, orchards, and vineyards. With 20 years of farming experience across organic operations in California, he now runs a regenerative agronomy consultancy (EcoSoil Solutions) alongside his own small regenerative farm.
Key Takeaways
The philosophy:
What is regenerative agronomy?
Regenerative agronomy focuses on building soil health, enhancing crop production, and increasing nutrient density, all through the lens of soil biology. This looks like:
- Combining advanced soil health & sap testing with regenerative practices; and importantly, balancing the two.
“I’ve seen people just focus on soil health and think ‘if I farm for just pure soil health, then everything’s going to be great’, and things go wrong. And then on the other spectrum, we know that this focusing on chemistry through the conventional agronomy approach has led us down a deep, problematic rabbit hole. So, it’s bridging the two together, and finding that balance.”
- The lab tests used in regenerative agronomy are different; they focus on how well the soil biology is functioning alongside the physics and chemistry of the soil. You might use the Haney Test, or the Phospholipid Fatty Acid (PLFA) Test, which look at soil chemistry through the lens of functioning soil biology, as opposed to water soluble soil tests.
- Fixing agronomic challenges with nature-based, biology-focused solutions to support soil health (e.g. on-farm compost teas, cover crops etc).
- Using data tracking software, like Sectormentor, to analyse trends and see what is working for your context.
The Tools:
Cover Crops as ‘eco-crops’
Chuck reframes cover crops as ‘eco-crops’, meaning “a tool to enhance the ecosystem, and the ecosystem functions”. Chuck invites us to see them as an investment into your soil.
Chuck’s advice for implementing cover crops:
1. Maximise photosynthesis.
The core purpose of a cover crop is to maximise photosynthesis. The more a plant photosynthesises, the more carbon and organic compounds (sugars, carbohydrates, organic acids) it pumps into the soil, feeding the biology below.
“Nothing can enhance soil biology more than a living root. Let vegetation start populating that vine row, even if it might look ugly. You gotta change your mindset. Plant roots fix soil.”
2. Don’t terminate your cover crop at bud break.
A common practice in vineyards is to mow cover crops at bud break in late winter, driven by the belief that tall vegetation increases frost risk by trapping cold air around the vines. From Chuck’s experience, he has found the opposite to be true; he keeps his cover crops as tall as cordon height at bud break, which moderates temperatures. Chuck emphasises that bare soil creates greater temperature swings, which can stimulate earlier bud break by warming the ground prematurely.
3. When to terminate cover crops.
Chuck’s termination guidance is: don’t mow too low, don’t mow too early, don’t overgraze, and aim to terminate before the crop becomes too lignified or goes to seed.
4. Understand and practice nutrient cycling.
When you do come to terminate your cover crop, Chuck stresses the importance of doing it in a way “that’s going to return organic matter back down to the soil from the top down”. This completes the nutrient cycle and feeds the vines.
What you should know before you go no-till
The middle of the row in a vineyard is pedestrianised and often quite compacted; years of foot traffic and machinery can suffocate the soil biology. If you stop tilling one day without undoing some of the compaction between vine rows, then you won’t unlock the soil biology needed to maintain no-till and benefit the vines; this can actually lead to yield drops.
This is why, according to Chuck, soils respond very well to tillage; because oxygen is being reintroduced to the soil, boosting biological activity. When you have well aggregated and healthy soils and then practice no-till, you’ll likely see the same benefits as tilling.
Chuck’s recommendations for transitioning into no-till:
1. Ironically, tilling before no-till can be very beneficial.
Chuck says that a good way to begin your no-till journey might be to plant a cover crop which you eventually till into the soil as a green manure. This can kick-start the biological system into gear, preparing it well for no-till.
2. Understand your soil type.
If you have sandy-loam soil, your soil will be able to transition to no-till far easier than a soil that is heavy-clay for instance.
3. Manage the transition with vine nutritional supplementation.
While the soil biology is recovering, supplementing the vines will help to avoid drops in yield and vigour. Chuck recommends bridging that gap with high-quality, organic, carbon-based inputs; humic and fulvic acids, biostimulants, hydrolysates, compost, and chelated nutrients (see section below for information on foliar nutrition). These additions are “powerful tools to heal the soil around the root system”. Chuck also recommends adding a layer of half decomposed woodchip to the soil; this feeds the soil fungal network (and does not eat up all the nitrogen as you might have thought).
4. Alternate tilled and no-till rows.
This is a simple way to ease into no-till, with a lower risk of losing yield.
How a regenerative agronomist does foliar nutrition
Chucks advice is as follows:
1. Focus on micronutrients rather than macros.
Micronutrient deficiencies are harder to correct and are often tied to specific soil fungi and bacteria that take time to establish. Getting the balance between micros and macros will pay dividends that go beyond yield in the long run:
“Balancing nutrition is going to improve cellular division, cell wall strength, cuticle development, and raise the brix in a plant. This is where regenerative agronomy comes in, because we can use plant nutrition as our fungicide or insecticide.”
2. Home-brew your own foliars on-site.
High-quality compost teas, brewed from vermicompost or a slow, static composting system (like a Johnson-Su) can form the base of an effective foliar, enhanced with liquid seaweed, kelp, fish or soy hydrolysates. Add in proteins, lipids, fatty acids, and you can brew that. Microorganisms will grow in the brew, and you’ll need to feed them regularly with sugars.
TOP TIP: If you buy a high quality biostimulant and mix your foliar on-site, then you can actually use this to inoculate your brew. You can use up to 75% less than it says on the instructions, and continue brewing your organism rich foliant from there! This can save you a fair amount of money.
3. A little and often, goes a long way.
In Chuck’s words, “consuming and pumping so much nutrient out in one shot is a waste, the foliar allows us to spoon-feed the plant… We can also do that through the drip system, if you’re a vineyard on irrigation.”
Tracking what works
Whether you’re trialling a new cover crop mix, adjusting your termination timing, or transitioning rows to no-till, understanding what’s working requires good observational records.
Sectormentor makes it straightforward to log vineyard observations, track soil health progress, and build a long-term picture of how your land is responding to regenerative practices. Over time, that data becomes one of your most valuable assets, helping you make better decisions according to your vineyard context.
If you’d like to learn more about how Sectormentor could work for you, feel free to sign up to a demo here.
Or sign up to our free 7-day email course which walks you through a simple observation routine that helps you maintain steady yields, build resilience into your vineyard, and plan harvest with confidence.
Alternatively, feel free to contact us at info@vidacycle.com.
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