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Understanding the soil and water conservation (SWC) impact of steep‐slope agricultural practices (e.g. terraces) has arguably never been more relevant than today, in the face of widespread intensifying rainfall conditions. In Italy, a diverse mosaic of terraced and non‐terraced cultivation systems have historically developed from local traditions and more recently from the introduction of machinery. Previous studies suggested that each type of vineyard configuration is characterised by a specific set of soil degradation patterns. However, an extensive analysis of SWC impacts by different vineyard configurations is missing, while this is crucial for providing robust guidelines for future‐proof viticulture. Here, we provide a unique extensive comparison of SWC in 50 vineyards, consisting of 10 sites of 5 distinct practices: slope‐wise cultivation (SC), contour cultivation (CC), contour terracing (CT), broad‐base terracing (BT …