Greenhouse gas emissions from viticulture: a PRISMA systematic review

Grapes are considered one of the world leading fruit crops. They can be grown in various climatic conditions and are highly economically important. Excessive management practices, such as soil preparation, abuse of nitrogen fertilizers and tractors traffic in the vineyard, may reduce the soil fertility and biodiversity, besides altering the balance of ecosystems and the fluxes of greenhouse gases emitted by the soil. This article aimed to develop a systematic review of greenhouse gas emissions from viticulture, in order to present a global perspective on the subject. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) methodology was used, as well as the terms (“grape growing” OR “viticulture” OR “vineyard” OR “grape cultivation”) AND (“nitrous oxide” OR “carbon dioxide” OR “methane” OR “greenhouse gas”), which should appear in the article title, abstract or keywords. The analysis included 29 articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The results mainly showed the relationship between nitrogen and organic fertilizers and soil texture, in addition to the relation between soil preparation practices and soil carbon emissions, and the influence of the soil water content on greenhouse gas emissions. The association of local climate conditions, management practices and soil characteristics can explain the significant variability of the observed results. Understanding the spatiotemporal emission dynamics and the determining factors allows the development of measures for effective greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, thus reducing the impact of global warming.