Indicators of Good Agricultural Practices in Viticulture

Abstract In Chile, agriculture is an important component of the economy where table grapes and vineyards cover a total of 409,313 ha. Two study sites located at the Apalta vineyard (34°36′S; 71°16′W) in the Colchagua valley of the General Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins Region of Chile were selected to carry out a monitoring strategy designed to assess good agricultural practices (GAPs) being implemented in connection with vineyard management. Considering the importance of pesticide applications and the topographic characteristics, monitoring strategies were established to determine management indicators. Fallout radionuclides have proven to be a cost-effective tool to trace soil redistribution due to erosion within the landscape from plot to basin scales. Farmers started to apply different mitigation strategies to avoid soil and agrochemical losses. In cases where it is not possible to control and evaluate GAPs, models can predict the level of pollution, helping to understand the relationship between water quality and farming.