Untersuchung von Herbizidschäden im österreichischen Weinbau

Up to 2006 the majority of Austrian winegrowers have renounced the use of herbicides in viticulture according to the ÖPUL (Austria's programme for the promotion of an agriculture which is appropriate to the environment, extensive and protective of natural habitats) guidelines. According to the new agrarian environmental programme 2007 this measure is no longer subsidized. It seems very likely that a greater portion of Austrian winegrowers will be inclined to apply herbicides again, partly due to the fact that subsidies are not paid any longer and partly due to structural changes, such as the increase in average size of individual farms and thus the primary need of saving and/or minimizing working time, which have taken place in the last years. The occurrence of damage on vines and problems with identification gave reason to an examination of driftage damage caused by applications of the most commonly used substances in viticulture and agriculture by the binding and point treatment spraying techniques. Active substances, which were examined, are glyphosat, glufosinat, oxyflurofen, amitrol/diuron and the sulfonylurea flazasulfuron. The spraying agent was applied under windy conditions in order to achieve drift. So, different symptoms, such as leaf distortion, bleaching, poor fruit set and necroses could be observed.