DEXiPM grapevine, a multiple criteria model for sustainability assessment of grapevine crop protection strategies

UMR SYSTEM : équipe CONSYST ; AMPLUSInternational audienceViticulture is characterized by a high use of pesticides compared to other crop industries (Gary et al., 2010),which generates concerns for human health and quality of the environment. Yet the use of pesticides, andother variables of economic importance such as yield, vary a lot among regions and farms within the same region(Meziere et al, 2009). A thorough analysis of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainabilityis then needed to assess and compare existing cropping systems or prototypes of innovative ones.To this end, DEXiPM, a qualitative multi-criteria assessment tool (Pelzer et al, 2013), was adapted to grapevine.A strong interaction with the first users (members of the FP7 Pure project from France, Germany andItaly) has brought to significant modifications, mainly on the economic and environmental branches. Theworking group has detailed some aspects of the grapevine management such as soil cover and choice of cropprotection products.These changes have been validated by assessing some case studies. A regards the economic sustainability, the selling price considers the expected yield (that may be linked togeographical indications), the certification of specific cultivation practices and the existence of marketingstrategies. The specific case of biocontrol products is considered: they are included in the production cost butnot in the environmental assessment.In the social sustainability branch, few criteria have been modified, such as the risk of contamination by mycotoxinesand the risk of pesticide residues.The three components of the environmental sustainability have been adapted: resource use, environmentalquality and biodiversity. A major change is that the period of cover cropping and percentage of soil coveredhave been introduced as they relate to a number of criteria: water use, pesticide leaching, nitrate leaching,compaction risk, runoff risk and soil organic matter. Pesticide ecotoxicity is assessed with the TFI of a list ofhighly toxic products. The energy consumption criterion has been adapted to include cultivation practicesspecific to viticulture. The organic matter is assessed in relation to specific organic amendments used inviticulture, vine shoot management and soil cover. At last biodiversity has been adapted for both the flora(by considering cover crops, flower strips and hedges) and fauna (by considering the natural enemies in thephyllosphere and pollinators.As a result, the number of attributes of the DEXiPM model for viticulture has been reduced by 10% comparedto the arable crop version. The assessment of contrasted strategies of crop protection provides evidence that specific features of vineyardmanagement have been captured in the new version of DEXiPM for grapevine