Grape vineyard in Southern Brazil utilize a large amount of mulch during autum-winter season demanding extra efforts and costs related to its acquisition, transportation and distribution in the plant inter-rows. In order to evaluate the possibility of replacing the tradicional use of mulch by cover cropped (green manuring species) in the inter-row strip, two experiments were carried out in Indaiatuba and Jundiaí, SP, Brazil, from 1999 to 2002, with the table grape variety Niagara Rosada. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replications and six treatments: 1.check (no weeded); 2. cutted spontaneous local vegetation; 3. mulch of Brachiaria decumbens; 4. Avena strigosa from March to October followed by Mucuna deeringiana from October to March; 5. Lathyrus sativus from March to October followed by M. deeringiana from October to March; and 6. Lupinus albus from March to October followed by M. deeringiana from October to March The juice quality was evaluated by content of total soluble solids (TSS), pH, total titratable acidity (TTA) and ratio TSS/TTA. In general and according to the average of the years the results of all characteristics obtained at the treatments with the green cover were equal ou more favorable than those ones using mulch cover. This leads to the conclusion that is possible the utilization of green manure crops in the inter-rows of grape vineyard without any negative interference on quality characteristics of grape fruits, which was influenced by the annual climatic conditions of the cultivation regions.
Vitis sp.; total soluble solids; pH; total titratable acidity; soil management
