Quantifying Fungi in Biodynamic Vineyard Soil
Faculty Sponsor(s)
Jeremy Weisz
Subject Area
Biology
Description
Biodiversity in winery soil is a crucial part of vine success, health, and grape taste. Fungi is an important part of this microbiome, for it helps in the breakdown of organic materials and nutrient cycling as well as crop protection. We were recruited to look at the fungi content in the soil of a local vineyard that practices biodynamic farming. Biodynamic farming is a practice that does not use pesticides or chemicals. Instead, the entire vineyard is viewed as its own ecosystem that needs to be naturally self-sustaining; hence, why the presence of fungi is so important. Molecular techniques like DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and Quantitative PCR were utilized to measure the amount of fungi in soil samples across the vineyard. Data suggests that there is an increase in the amounts of fungi in samples across different years and seasons, leading us to believe that biodynamic farming practices are working. This information can be integrated into organic farming practices to promote the growth of fungi, and in turn, produce generations of prosperous crops.
Rights
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Robbins, Emma, "Quantifying Fungi in Biodynamic Vineyard Soil" (2024). Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement. Event. Submission 14.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/symposium/2024/all/14
Quantifying Fungi in Biodynamic Vineyard Soil
Biodiversity in winery soil is a crucial part of vine success, health, and grape taste. Fungi is an important part of this microbiome, for it helps in the breakdown of organic materials and nutrient cycling as well as crop protection. We were recruited to look at the fungi content in the soil of a local vineyard that practices biodynamic farming. Biodynamic farming is a practice that does not use pesticides or chemicals. Instead, the entire vineyard is viewed as its own ecosystem that needs to be naturally self-sustaining; hence, why the presence of fungi is so important. Molecular techniques like DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and Quantitative PCR were utilized to measure the amount of fungi in soil samples across the vineyard. Data suggests that there is an increase in the amounts of fungi in samples across different years and seasons, leading us to believe that biodynamic farming practices are working. This information can be integrated into organic farming practices to promote the growth of fungi, and in turn, produce generations of prosperous crops.
