NH - Unit 2 - The Vine - the vine plant

Question 1

Function of the roots

Answer 1

• absorb water and nutrients from soil
• anchor the vine
• store carbohydrates for winter

Question 2

function of trunk and arms

Answer 2

• reach up toward the sun
• allow the transport of water and other substances between roots, leaves and fruit
• store carbohydrates during dormant period

Question 3

what are the shoots?

Answer 3

• they grow out of buds and support leaves.
• Go woody and brown in autumn when they become known as a ‘cane’

Question 4

what are nodes?

Answer 4

• Part of vine which grow leaves, flower bunches and tendrils
• they segment the vine shoots

Question 5

Section of stem between nodes is called

Answer 5

Internode

Question 6

What are buds?

Answer 6

• form at the base of the leaf stalks
• allow the shoot to branch

Question 7

Buds that break same year are called

Answer 7

Prompt buds

Question 8

Buds that break following spring are called

Answer 8

Latent or dormant buds

Question 9

What are the leaves?

Answer 9

• vine’s organs responsible for photosynthesis,
• transpire from their pores (evaporate water) creating system which enable plant to suck up water from soil

Question 10

What are petioles

Answer 10

Leaf stalks

Question 11

What part of vine you need to analyses to determine nutrient requirement of vine

Answer 11

Petioles

Question 12

What are the flowers?

Answer 12

• Reproductive stucture of vine
• vine flowers are hermaphroditic

Question 13

What are infloresences ?

Answer 13

• the hermaphroditic reproductive parts of vine
• they are very small
• are grouped in bunches

Question 14

What are tendrils?

Answer 14

• They search out trellis wire and wind around them
• enable shoots to stay upright and get maximum sun available
• They are positioned where in the lower half of the shoot, the flower clusters are formed

Question 15

When, how occurs budburst?

Answer 15

• April/May (Northern Hemisphere) or Sept/Oct (Southern Hemisphere)
• Stimulated by increased temperatures in the spring
• carbohydrates stored over winter in the roots return to the trunk and canes as sap to provide nutrients for budburst

Question 16

What is the scientific name for the European Grape Vine?

Answer 16

Vitis Vinifera

Question 17

Vitis Vinifera is part of the …. family

Answer 17

Vitaceae of wood climbing plants.

Question 18

All members of the Vitaceae family have the folllowing structures :

Answer 18

1. roots
2. trunk and arms
3. shoots
4. nodes
5. buds
6. leaves
7. petioles
8. flowers
9. tendrils
10. berries

Question 19

Another word for nodes

Answer 19

bumps

Question 20

What is the internode?

Answer 20

The section of stem between nodes.

Question 21

What are the berries of the Viticeae family? Function and origin?

Answer 21

• if flower is fertilised => ovary walls swell with water and sugar to form berry pulp.
• they attract birds
• birds disperse the seeds at the centre of the berry

Question 22

Discribe the annual growth cycle of the vine

Answer 22

Bud burst
Rapid shoot growth
Flowering - Fruit Set
Berry Growth - Véraison
Wood ripening
Berry ripening and harvest
Winter dormancy

Question 23

When is rapid shoot growth

Answer 23

May to August (Northern Hemisphere) - Oct to Jan (Southern Hemisphere)

Question 24

when and what is Flowering - Fruit set

Answer 24

• June/July (Northern Hemisphere
• Nov/Dec Southern Hemisphere
• Pollen must germinate on the stigma (female part of the flower) and grow a long tube to reach te egg in the ovary
• Fine weather is important for pollination and fruit set
• (little rain and wind- is ideal => too much rain of wind will wash or blow away the pollen
  
  • possible low fruit set and small crop

Question 25

What is floral initiation?

Answer 25

• occurs simulataneously with flowering
• occurs in dormant buds
• determines the maximum number of bunches per shoot for the following year

Question 26

What and when , Wood ripening

Answer 26

• Sep to Nov (Northern Hemisphere
• Feb to apr (S.H.)
• Carbohydrates stored in canes, trunk and roots in order to provide energy for the following spring.

Question 27

What and when , berry growth and veraison

Answer 27

• July to September (Northern Hemisphere
• Dec to Feb (S.H.)
• Skins change color

Question 28

What and when : berry ripening and harvest

Answer 28

• September to November (Northern Hemisphere)
• Feb to Nov (S. Hemisphere)
• Berries accumulate sugars and ripen polyphenols.
• Fine, dry weather is important in weeks preceding harvest
  
  • fruit is succeptible to diseases (spray witholding periods)

Question 29

when and how : Winter dormancy

Answer 29

• November to January (Northern Hemisphere)
• Feb - May (S.H.)
• Leaves fall,
• shoots lignify (harden and become brown)
• plant goes dormant.
  
  • in very mild winters => vine fails to go dormant => pruning while sap is still being supplied

Question 30

Most important stages in the growth cycle for yield/quality.

Answer 30

• Floral initiation
  
  • depends on temperature
  • depends on sunlight exposure
  • depends on there being sufficient carbohydrates reservers in the wood
• Bud burst
  
  • vines are now very sensitive to late spring frosts => destroy the shoots
    
    • secondary buds can grow => less fruitfull
• Flowering
  
  • ovules must be fertilised
  • requires adequate temperatures, can be interupted by rain
• Fruit set
  
  • poor light levels can lead to poor set (coulure) => loose bunches with few berries
  • low temperatures => mix of small, seedles berries and larger berries with seeds in same bunch = millerandage or “hen and chicken”
• Also important :
  
  • shoot growth (in balance with the yield)
  • berry ripening
    
    • (sufficient high temperature for the physiological process to occur)
    • (temp not too high => wine can lack flavours and complexity)

Question 31

What is coulure?

Answer 31

No Fruit set

Question 32

What is millerandage?

Answer 32

mix of small, seedles berries and larger berries with seeds in same bunch

Question 33

hen and chicken

Answer 33

millerandage or mix of small, seedles berries and larger berries with seeds in same bunch

Question 34

Describe the cycle of the vine

Answer 34

• 1 - 2 à3 y => vine grows trunk and permanent wood
  
  • bunches are removed, shoots in undesirable positions are removed
• 3y - 7y => first crops are harvested
  
  • good fruit to leave balance, well exposed fruit => high quality fruit
    
    • because trunk and arms are still quite thin
    • because over-wintering reserves are relatively low
• 7y - 20y => vine is at ist most vigourous, potenential yealds are at their highest
  
  • trunk and arms continues to thicken
  • plenty carbohydrate reserves
  • excesive root system
  • canopy needs to be managed to avoid excessive shading and excessive competition for photosynthates
  • quality is commonly a little lower than crops at the beginning
• 20 y => vine is weakened by years of winter and summer pruning, roots are weakend by soil compaction, drought, pests and diseases
  
  • fruit/leaf balance can restore to what is was in the beginning but yealds van also decline.
    
    • some premium site ones can choose “vieilles vignes”, others can be replaced.