Vineyard weed management with “electronic mulch”

Weeds within vineyards may harbor insect pests, compete with grape vines for water and nutrients, and interfere with grape harvest. Traditional methods of weed control include plastic mulch and herbicides to prevent weed growth. While effective, plastic mulch is expensive and requires disposal after a few years, and herbicide has potential negative environmental impacts and its use is undesirable to wine consumers. An NMSU researcher is developing a novel weed control method using low doses of electricity. Trials in two vineyards in 2023 demonstrated that “electric mulch” was more effective than either plastic mulch or herbicide in controlling weeds. Economic analysis is pending, but initial results indicate that electric mulch may eliminate the need for other types of weed control in vineyards.