New vineyards sprayed with herbicides

3/20/2006   Peter

“All the big new vineyards on Annapolis Road have recently been sprayed with herbicides, and the characteristic brown-out and discoloration is showing up now, demonstrating how extensive the spray area is… and during an intense period of rain and runoff to seasonal creeks. The old Annapolis vineyard and new olive plantations are managed for weeds by non-chemical means, including geotextile weed mats, and mowing.

Hydrologically, it’s all part of the river system, and it represents visually what the ‘new management’ of forest conversion to vineyard is bringing to the watershed each spring. Even the timber industry doesn’t spray managed forests with herbicides every year.”

Rows of herbicide-sprayed (brown) vineyard contrast with narrower unsprayed strips in green. This herbicide-treated landscape covers hundreds of acres on Annapolis Road on at least two vineyards.

Weed mats suppress weeds at the bases of olive trees, in a young plantation on Annapolis Road.

An old vineyard, no herbicides, on Annapolis Road.