High Tonnage Wine Grapes Nitrogen Management and 4Rs

Learn how to improve nitrogen management in high-tonnage wine grape production using the 4Rs: Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place, and Right Source. This educational video explores how nitrogen moves through the soil, how grapevines take up nitrogen throughout the growing season, and how fertilizer and irrigation management affect vine growth, crop yields, fruit quality, and the risk of nitrate leaching to groundwater. The video explains how to determine the appropriate nitrogen application rate by accounting for expected crop yield, nitrogen in irrigation water, soil nutrient supplies, and organic amendments. Topics include leaf and petiole tissue analysis, timing and placement of fertilizer applications, fertigation practices, and selecting nitrogen sources to improve nutrient uptake and reduce leaching losses. These science-based management practices can help growers and crop advisors improve nitrogen use efficiency, achieve high yields and fruit quality, reduce unnecessary fertilizer costs, and minimize nitrate losses to groundwater. This video is part of CURES’ Crop Nutrient Minute educational series, supported by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP). The series provides practical nutrient management information to support agricultural professionals in California.