Assistant Professor of Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto. PhD in Agricultural Sciences in the area of Viticulture. Member of the GreenUP/CITAB Research Centre, DGAOT. Director of the Master’s in Engineering of Viticulture and Oenology (in collaboration with ISA-UL and the INIAV) and of the Erasmus Mundus Master on Wine Tourism Innovation (WINTOUR) organized jointly with Rovira i Virgili University (URV – Tarragona, Spain), University of Bordeaux (UB, France). Member of the Scientific Board of the GiESCO, “Group of International Experts of vitivinicultural Systems for CoOperation.” Research interests: Canopy management and training systems, Steep Slope Viticulture, Fortified wines, Oenotourism.

Title: Installation of vineyard’s in steep slope (Douro region): from the past to the present

Abstract: Ever, with the exception of the period of post phylloxera, Douro Region experienced a surge of planting and restructuring of the vineyards as in current days. Passed the years 1980 and the installation of approximately 2500 ha of new vineyards under the Integrated Regional Development Programme of Trás-os-Montes (PDRITM), the various programs of support for the restructuring of vineyards, including the current VITIS, had a huge participation, leading to the restructuring of a enormous quantity of old vineyards. Unfortunately, this has not always been positive, because often the “new vineyards” are worse from the general point of view that the “old vines” that had been replaced. With effect on “new vineyards” were and are yet frequently founded very serious erosion problems, generally conducted to a dramatically reduction of the planting density, obtaining in exchange an incipient level of mechanization. This communication is intended to reflect about the different installation systems of vine used over time, and the implications of each system in aspects such as the productive, erosion, landscap …