Canopy Management M of W 08/02/2012 Plumpton College
You recently accepted the vineyard manager position of an established vineyard. Discuss the core issues that you will focus on that will affect wine quality? Discuss the relationship between canopy management and fruit maturity.
Wine quality core issues Aims grape varieties/wine type. Vineyard history disease, yield, soil, spray Pruning method vigour levels. Disease monitoring local climate, traps, bi - weekly inspections Disease/pest control rabbits, birds, fungal, insects Spray program Sustainable, organic, bio, IPM? Canopy management shoot/leaf, trim, strip Nutrient Levels soil and petiole Yield green harvest as Harvest Hand, machine
By the end of todays session you should be able to: List the main reasons for canopy management. List the methods used to assess canopy vigour Identify the main methods of canopy control available/used. List the main factors that affect canopy development/vigour.
Canopy Management Canopy management is the organisation of the shoots, leaves and fruit of the grapevine plant in order to maximise the quality of the microclimate surrounding the leaves and fruit, thus improving quality and yield.
From this:
Smart & Shaulis
2. The main aims of canopy management To maximise the effectiveness of light interception to vine canopies To reduce canopy shading, particularly in the fruit/renewal zone
A range of techniques which alter the position and number of shoots and fruit in space To produce a uniform microclimate for fruit To achieve an appropriate distribution of the products of photosynthesis
The first step in canopy management is measuring the canopy characteristics
3. Assessing canopy quality The Point Quadrat: A sharpened metal rod is stabbed 50 times into the canopy at right angles in the fruit zone in random areas. Contacts with leaves (L), clusters (C) and canopy gaps (G) are noted. % Canopy gaps = Number of Gs x 100 50 Optimum 40 % canopy gaps
The point quadrat can also be used to measure: Mean LLN (leaf layer number) = Total number of Ls 50 Optimum 1 1.5 leaves % Interior leaves = Nº of interior Ls x 100 Total nº of Ls stabbed Optimum < 10% % Fruit exposure = Number of external Cs x 100 Total number of Cs Optimum 60% fruit exposure
4. The ideal vine canopy
5. Canopy Management techniques 5.1 Site assessment High potential sites: require low density planting (< 3000 plants/ha) and complex trellis systems, such as RT2T & GDC Medium potential sites: require average plant densities (3000 5000 plants/ha) and systems such as Lyre, Scott-Henry and large VSP Low potential sites: High-density (> 5000 plants/ha) VSP systems can be used on these sites
5.2 Trellis selection Criteria for assessing trellis systems: Legislation Plant density, alley width and trunk length requirements Features of site, e.g. frost susceptibility, wind exposure. Effectiveness of light interception & quality of canopy microclimate Cost & time of establishment & maintenance Popularity and attractiveness
5.3 Winter pruning Reasons for pruning vines: To organise the plant on the trellis To allow for the passage of machinery and manpower To produce a balance between the crop and leaf area
5.4 Vigour control Excessively low vigour is generally due to: Drought stress Irrigation Low soil fertility Increase fertilisation, drainage, soil organic matter, etc. Disease Diagnose & treat
Excessively high vigour can be more difficult to control: Selection of low vigour rootstocks Water stress in irrigated vineyards Cover cropping in alleys High density planting? Removing alternate vines along the row Root pruning Retro-fitting a more complex trellis system
4.4 Summer Pruning 1. Shoot removal (bud-rubbing) Vine shoots are removed if they are: Badly-positioned and so will have to be removed at winter pruning anyway In contact or too close to the ground (Peronospora) Infertile (low-yielding plants) Rootstock shoots Causing too much canopy shade, aim for 15 shoots/metre of trellis
5.5 Shoot positioning (Tucking in) The aim is to organise the canopy and facilitate mechanisation. Important in upright canopies or shoots will bunch together and flop on to the ground. Can be done by hand, using moveable wires, or with machines.
5.6 Summer pruning Trimming Objectives: Improve fruit set top at end of flowering Control excessive shoot growth to facilitate the passage of manpower and machinery and reduce inter-row shading and wind damage Reduce canopy thickness Encourage the onset of maturity by discouraging shoot growth, which stimulates berry development timing critical re: lateral growth. To look good
Trimming before & after
Leaf stripping Objectives: Improve canopy microclimate, thus improving fruit quality and speed up maturity Improve fruit health Improve spray penetration Increase speed of manual harvesting
A leaf stripper
Leaf stripping before & after
Crop thinning or green harvesting Aim is to: Control leaf area: fruit ratio so as to get optimum ripeness Conform with legal control on yields If done soon after fruit set can improve ripeness/quality
The end