Silvopasture in vineyards

Abstract

Silvopasture is the practice of managing desired woody perennials, forages, and livestock on the same unit of land. Silvopasture systems can be applied in many settings, including vineyards. In vineyard silvopasture systems, vines are the perennial component and small livestock are grazed in the alleys between vine rows. While grapevines are not trees, they are woody perennials that provide some of the same functions as trees in silvopasture systems. Like trees, grapevines can be intentionally integrated with other components into a single system to generate benefits for both growers and for the environment. In vineyard silvopasture systems, the pasture component can include cover crops, forage for livestock, or resident vegetation, including weeds. The forage component has several functions, such as feeding livestock, improving soil health, increasing soil water holding capacity, improving integrated pest management, and in many cases, enhancing grape quality. Small animals, such as sheep, certain breeds of pigs, and poultry, are considered the most appropriate livestock for use in vineyards because cattle are typically too large for the row spacing, goats have browsing habits that can damage grapes and vines, and most breeds of pigs can damage soil and vine roots by rooting. Livestock are typically grazed seasonally in vineyards so that they do not eat or damage developing shoots or ripening fruit. If table grapes or raisins are being grown, as opposed to wine grapes, animals may also need to be excluded at certain times of the year to prevent contamination of ripening crops. While many vineyards are introducing groundcover, such as cover crops, without grazing, the introduction of livestock can aid with vegetation management and provide many other benefits.

Citation

Favor, Katherine. 2025. Silvopasture in vineyards. Agroforestry Note 51. Lincoln, NE: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Agroforestry Center. 13 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NAC-AN-51.