Term for the practice in agriculture, including viticulture, of compensating for a deficiency in the soil by supplying nutrients and Spurenelementetrace elements of a mineral and organic nature. The name is derived from "manure" (dung from herbivores, especially ungulates). This oldest form of fertiliser was already being used six millennia ago. Targeted fertilisation began in the 18th century with wood ash, lime and marl. Around 1840, the German chemist Justus Liebig (1803-1873) demonstrated the growth-promoting effect of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. In his major work "Organic Chemistry in its Application to Agriculture and Physiology", he wrote: " The soil must fully recover what is taken from it through harvesting.

FertiliserPicture 1 = mineral compound fertiliser with 8% nitrogen, 8% phosphate and 8% potassium; Fig. 2 = organic fertiliser (horn shavings), picture 3 = calcium ammonium nitrate with 76% ammonium nitrate and 24% calcium carbonate.

Conventional agrochemicals

Until the 1950s, it was common practice worldwide to use chemical agents on a massive scale in the fight against pests because little was known about the negative effects. Climate change also contributes to negative developments. The conventional agrochemical industry of today, with its large-scale use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides to combat pests such as insects, weeds and microorganisms, has come under increasing criticism since the 1980s and is seen as incompatible with sustainability and organic farming. A radical rejection of these practices is hardly realistic in the short term, also due to crop failures. The targeted and well-dosed use of modern agrochemicals can help to combat crop failures and thus world hunger.

Reasons for fertilisation

During the annual vegetation cycle in the vineyard, large quantities of nutrients are removed from the soil. Losses occur through leaching (on light soils, especially of boron, potassium and magnesium), erosion (soil erosion, especially on slopes), gaseous loss (especially nitrogen) and fixation (binding of nutrients in a form that is not available to plants), as well as through the grape harvest. A vine with around 200 leaves produces around half a kilo of dry matter in the annual vegetation cycle, i.e. shoots, leaves and grapes. Within the EU, there are statutory fertiliser regulations for agricultural land.

In contrast to other plants, vines are less demanding in terms of soil fertility. There are many famous vineyards with top wines that have relatively poor soil. A certain amount of nutrient stress can even have a positive effect. However, wine quality does not automatically improve as the soil becomes poorer. Too little (deficiency) is just as negative as too much...