The Pradel field demonstration site joined the ProTerra project in late 2003 as an established trial. Four soil management practices, each covering three adjacent inter-rows, are being compared for their influence on sediment and runoff losses:

Treatment 1: Both inter-row and vine row are chemically managed, using residual and post-emergence herbicides, to ensure total absence of weeds throughout the growing season.

Treatment 2: The inter-rows are under a permanent cover (English rye grass and red fescue), managed by mechanical mowing in April and June. The vine rows are chemically managed by post-emergence herbicide.

Treatment 3: The inter-rows are managed by mechanical tillage in spring and summer using a rotavator. Disturbance is caused to a depth of 30cm. The vine rows are chemically managed by the application of post-emergence herbicide.

Treatment 4: Both inter-rows and vine rows are managed with post-emergence herbicides.

The central inter-row of each treatment has been hydraulically isolated for monitoring purposes. The sides of the inter-rows are confined by the natural ridges on which the vines sit. The top of the plots are confined by a natural break in slope, and at the down-slope end there is a collection funnel which channels the sediment and runoff leaving the plot to a collection system where it can be quantified.

Each monitored plot measures 56m in length and 2.3m in width (vine to Vine), giving a contribution zone of 129m 2 . The slope angle is 10.8° .

Sampling is carried out manually and field conditions experienced during each sampling period are recorded using an automatic weather station.