Photo by Klara Kulikova on Unsplash
The New Zealand wine industry has taken the world by storm. Beautiful wines increase demand, and that, in turn, leads to overfarming and soil depletion. A three year research program in New Zealand concluded that hemp helped to improve Sauvignon Blanc grape crops.
Hemp seeds were planted to grow as crop-covers. The mighty hemp sprouted and established root systems without additional water. Other crop covers failed this test. The hemp root systems protected the valuable vineyard roots from tractor damage and even helped increase irrigation and fertigation of the grapes.
According to New Zealand Winegrower magazine, NZ grape grower Kristy Harkness said, “Juice from grapes adjacent to the hemp had greater populations of native yeasts and produced a wine of higher quality.”
