Name (Fabaceae) for one of the largest plant families with over 13,000 species. Colloquially, these plants are usually called "legumes". Due to their high protein content and high yields in small areas, the fruits and seeds are an important part of the human diet worldwide. These include beans, peas, peanuts, broom, clover and lentils. In organic viticulture and its special forms, legumes (mostly clovers, lucerne, lupins and vetches) are used as green manure by sowing them between the rows of vines. They bind and store atmospheric nitrogen as they grow.
The picture on the left shows seeds from various legumes, the picture on the right shows a large-flowered vetch. Ploughing up the soil or killing the plants adds nitrogen to the soil. This is done as an alternative to mineral fertilisers, especially in lean, nitrogen-poor soils. See also cover crop, organic viticulture and a complete list of all activities and aids in the vineyard under vineyard care.
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The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena