Vinova loza i vinogradarstvo Krasa (Slovenija)

Vine in the Slovene Kras (Karst) region is unique due to the specific geologic, climatic, geomorphologic and soil conditions. Small sized villages with low number of inhabitants are typical for the area as well as fragmented land units. The percentage of the active population in agricultural sector is continuously decreasing. With the land use data for years 1961, 1994 and 2000 we studied the changes in land use by land register units in the area.Abandonment of arable land and its grass overgrowing, insufficient vineyard renewal, abandonment of cattle breeding and forest overgrowing are the biggest threats to the vine growth in the area. Due to forest overgrowing the local wind called "burja" is weaker and less frequent which leads to higher relative air moisture. The last mentioned fact is of the most important ones, because the local vine is very sensitive to high air moisture conditions which cause different kinds of plant diseases. The renewal of the vineyards in the Karst area is insufficient to maintain the present situation. In the last few years local farmers have been trying to protect the local wine called "Teran" as a regional specialty.