Managing a Vineyard

Question 1

What to consider when managing a vineyard

Answer 1

1) nutrients
2) water
3) weeds
4) canopy
5) hazards
6) pests
7) harvest

(all encompassing soil)

Question 2

Nutrient Management

Answer 2

Organic fertilizers: compost/ cover crops, improve soil health and structure, slow uptake, bulky to transport and apply
Mineral fertilizers: expensive, easier to transport and apply, extremely efficient, long term damage

Question 3

Water Management

Answer 3

Water is needed for turgidity, temperature regulation, nutrient uptake, and photosynthesis.

Too much = excess vigour, oxygen deprivation, higher yields = fix drainage before planting, add cover crops, mulch

Too little = water efficient irrigation, drought tolerant vine material, reduced evaporation via shade, reduce competition, increase humus, and promoting the vines roots to go deep

Question 4

Irrigation

Answer 4

Costs of irrigation:
1) water availability, pressure, and quality (purification)
2) logistics (type of irrigation, installation, maintenance)

Types of irrigation:
1) drip (less water is used, must pay to maintain)
2) sprinklers (must pay to maintain, inefficient use of water, good for frost)
3) flood (must have plenty of water, the right kind of soil, and flat land)
- consider fertigation

Question 5

Weed Management

Answer 5

1) cultivation
2) animal grazing
3) cover crops
4) compost
5) mulching
6) herbicides (pre-emergent, contact, systemic)

Question 6

Canopy Management key aims

Answer 6

1) maximise effectiveness of light (important for bud development and fruit set)
2) reduce shade
3) ensure a uniform microclimate for even ripening
4) promote balance between vegetative and reproductive functions
- too much bud removal makes plant focus on vegetative
- too much yield depletes carbohydrates and hurts next years crop
5) to ease mechanization or manual labor (training methods)
6) promote air circulation

Question 7

Vine Training

Answer 7

Refers to the shape of the permanent wood on the vine which is split into the two categories below

1) head training: trunk with a few short stubs on the top, can be spur pruned or replacement cane pruned
2) cordon training: a trunk plus one or more horizontal arms of permanent wood, typically spur pruned, takes longer to establish

Can be trained high to avoid frosts/ make manual work easier or low to protect from wind/ benefit from heat retained by the soil

Question 8

Vine Pruning

Answer 8

The removal of unwanted parts of the vine that takes place in the summer and winter. There are two types of winter pruning:
1) spur pruning: short sections of 1-year-old wood cut back to only 2 or three buds, these can be along a cordon or around the top of the trunk
2) replacement cane pruning: long sections of 1-year-old wood (canes) with 8-20 buds are laid horizontal on trellising, more complex thus better labor is needed

(# OF BUDS DEPENDS ON VIGOUR)

Question 9

Summer Pruning

Answer 9

Includes a variety of techniques to keep the canopy of the vine maintained aimed at enhancing ripening, reducing fungal risk, or making the vineyard easier to manage.

1) disbudding (manual, manages yields, poorly positioned buds)
2) shoot removal (often infertile or poorly positioned laterals)
3) shoot positioning
4) pinching (manual, removal of shoot tips at flowering to improve fruit set)
5) shoot trimming (limits growth and reduced canopy thickness = reduced competition for carbs btwn shoots and grapes + improves airflow)
6) leaf removal (reduces shade, improving ripening, less fungal pressure)
7) green harvesting (if times near verasion can increase ripeness of grapes left on the vine)

Question 10

Harvest Decisions

Answer 10

1) weather
2) logistics (labor)
3) laws
4) sugar ripeness
5) phenolic ripeness
6) acidity levels
7) aroma compounds and precursors