Inter‐row soil management affecting soil moisture in non‐irrigated vineyard ecosystems: A meta‐analysis

Abstract Soil moisture or soil water content (SWC) is crucial for ecosystem functioning, affecting plant health and soil quality. Imbalances in soil moisture can result in reduced fruit production and altered soil biotic and abiotic parameters. Vineyards, especially those located on sloping terrains, or in less fertile soils, are highly susceptible to these issues. An effective nature‐based solution to reduce erosion, improve soil health and increase the biodiversity of soils in vineyards is implementing green cover in the inter‐row spaces. However, trade‐offs related to green cover management need to be carefully evaluated to ensure optimal outcomes. Therefore, we conducted a literature review and a meta‐analysis to analyse how soil water content changes when a green cover (perennial grass or cover crops) management method is used in a vineyard compared to no vegetation or tilled inter‐rows. We found 70 data sets concerning soil water content (SWC) in non‐irrigated vineyards involving tillage and green cover. The data revealed that SWC enhancement depends on the type of green cover, as perennial grass (GC) tended to increase SWC (on average by 15%), whereas cover crops (CC) decreased overall SWC (on average by 20%). Sub‐humid climates showed 35%–73% higher SWC compared to semi‐arid research sites. Temperature zones also revealed that the lower (<12°C) average annual air temperature sites had the highest SWC. In general, the highest average SWC in GC also included the highest soil organic carbon (SOC) content and the lowest average bulk density (1.41 g cm −3 ) in the data set. However, changes in overall bulk density values were not significant among inter‐row soil management. We found that green cover generally increases penetration resistance (22% for GC and 61% for CC) and reduces the saturated hydraulic conductivities of the soils (i.e. 30% for GC and 79% for CC). However, our data set shows high deviations between research sites' values and climatic conditions, and while there are numerous benefits of green cover use in vineyard inter‐rows, site‐specific assessment is highly recommended prior to making changes in management practices.