Project title: Evaluation of soil health indicators in the Stellenbosch wine grape region
Project number: SU SS AH 25-01
Project leader: Prof A.G. Hardie-Pieters
Institution: Department of Soil Science, Stellenbosch University
Start date: 2025
Project description: Soil health is challenging for growers to manage due to limited scientific research available on the topic, particularly in commercial vineyards in South Africa. Although numerous soil health tests are available to growers, their importance to winegrape production is unclear, and there is no benchmark for these indicators. The project goal is to assess the relevance of soil health indicators to the functions of wine grape soil health and establish benchmark values for these indicators. A modified soil health assessment framework based on soil texture will be used in commercial vineyards, focusing on the Stellenbosch region as a starting point. The results derived from this study can serve as a foundation for designing studies in other winegrape production areas to establish region-specific soil health assessment frameworks.