6 - Vineyard Management Flashcards
Describe 3 considerations that affect site selection
- Environmental Considerations
- Business Considerations
- Grape Varietal
Give 3 reasons why environmental conditions are important.
The data collected about the environmental conditions will determine:
The grape variety that can be grown.
The optimal planting density that can be determined.
The appropriate training and trellising system
What business considerations need attention in site selection?
Proximity to infrastructure
Labour Availability
Machinery Accessibility
Land Cost
Why is grape varietal selection important?
It must be in demand
It must meet legal requirements.
It must suit the climatic conditions.
How are new plantings given the best chance of survival?
Vegetative Clearing
Fertilisation
Plastic Sleeves (protect against animals)
Irrigation
What is the ultimate goal with vineyard management?
To maximise production of fruit at the desired quality as economically as possible.
What is vine training?
Vine training refers to the shape of the permanent wood on a vine.
Name 2 vine training systems.
- Head Training.
2. Cordon Training.
Describe a head trained vine.
Little permanent wood
Consists of either a trunk or a trunk with a small number of short arms.
Describe a cordon trained vine.
A trunk with 1 or more permanent arms/cordons.
Can consist of more arms (nutrient rich soils and heavy rainfall)
Give one disadvantage and one advantage of cordon trained vines.
Advantage: Better for machine harvesting.
Disadvantage: Longer to establish.
Why would a vine be high trained?
Why would a vine be low trained?
High: To avoid frost damage
Low: To allow it to benefit from the heat of the soil.
What is vine pruning?
Pruning is the removal of unwanted leaves, canes and permanent wood.
Why is pruning performed?
- It shapes and limits vine size.
2. It determines the number and location of buds.
Name 2 pruning systems?
Spur Pruning
Replacement Cane Pruning
Describe spur pruning.
1 year old wood, cut to 2-3 buds distributed along a cordon or on top of a trunk.
Describe replacement cane pruning.
Cane = Long section of 1 year old wood holding 8-20 buds
What is Guyot Training?
Head trained, replacement cane pruned vines.
What is the purpose of summer pruning?
- Targets the canopy to restrict vegetative growth.
- Encourages ripening by diverting sugar production to grapes.
- Leaf stripping exposes grape bunches to sunlight for ripening.
What is the cost consideration with replacement cane pruning?
It’s more complex, requiring skilled labour to choose suitable canes.
What is a bobelet system?
Head trained,
Spur pruned
Untrellised.
What is the canopy?
The canopy is composed of all the green parts of the plant.
What is a trellis and why is it used?
A trellis is a permanent structure of stakes and wires.
A trellis is used to support replacement canes and a vines annual growth.
Describe an untrellised vine.
An untrellised vine is one where the shoots are unsupported and hang toward the ground. They are typically head trained and spur pruned.