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Reducing copper in vineyards
An international consortium in the wine sector is developing the COPPEREPLACE project which aims to reduce the use of copper in vineyards.
Viticulturists have been using copper fungicide to combat Downy Mildew in vineyards since the end of the 19th Century, however copper is a non-degradable heavy metal and this process can lead the metal to both gather in the top soil or leach into the water causing negative impacts on the environment.
The Association for the Development of Douro Viticulture (ADVID), based in Vila Real, is part of this project, which is led by the Spanish Plataforma Tecnológica del Vino (PTV), through its Technical Services Department and the Collaborative Laboratory of vine and Wine (CoLAB Vines & Wines).