o:35955 Grass Cover in Vineyards as a Multifunctional Solution for Sustainable Grape Growing: A Case Study of Cabernet Sauvignon Cultivation in Serbia en ABSTRACT Faced with the challenges posed by climate change, Serbian viticulture is looking for sustainable solutions for adaptable production. This study shows that grass is a multifunctional tool for overcoming the challenges of intensive viticulture while maintaining the quality of the grapes. In a three-year research experiment (2020–2022), the maintenance of an inter-row sward in a vineyard with four certified high-quality French Cabernet Sauvignon clones was investigated, and its effects on the ampelographic composition of the grapes and the quality of the grape juice (must) were studied as a function of wine quality. A grass sward was established between the rows as a biological soil management system and as a climate change adaptation measure in a high-intensity viticultural system. A grass–legume mixture was used as an inter-row cover crop, with nitrogen applied in two doses (50 and 100 kg ha−1) in spring. The growth of the grasses responded to the nitrogen fertilisation, which was reflected in the biomass production, surface cover and nitrogen content in the biomass. At the end of the study, the biomass of the grass increased threefold when a high dose of nitrogen was applied compared to the non-fertilised grass. In contrast to the effects of nitrogen on the sward, N has no effect on the quantitative or qualitative parameters of the grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon; grass cover; N application; grape quality; climate change; adaptation 1552099 10.3390/agronomy15020253 2025-02-20T09:26:48.796Z 44 yes 46 Zoran Pržić University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Serbia Aleksandar Simić University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Serbia person Snežana Brajević University of Belgrade, Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy INEP, Serbia person 0009-0008-7964-8235 Nebojša Marković University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Serbia person Ana Vuković Vimić University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Serbia person Mirjam Vujadinović Mandić University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Serbia person Mariana Niculescu Faculty of Agronomy, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania person application/pdf 1490825 https://phaidrabg.bg.ac.rs/o:35955 no yes 16 70 92000001 11A33 11A29 11A2906 Agronomy 15 2 253 MDPI, Basel, Switzerland 2025