Vineyard Management Flashcards
What does site suitability depend on?
Water, climate, type and quality of soil, access to site, labor availability
Name an example of nutrient deficient soil
Sandy soil in high rainfall area - deficient in K calcium and SO2
Frequently cultivated shallow soils in low rainfall - low N
How many grape varieties are there?
8000 Winkler, wild and table
1400 Jancis commercial
What predetermines the style and quality of a wine most?
Genetic characteristics of the grape
Climatically, where do grapes produce their best iterations?
At the coolest margin of viable ripening
What is the calculation for planting density?
Per hectare, number of rows x number of vines in each row
Is there a direct correlation between high density planting and quality?
No. Though it increases the total leaf surface in a vineyard
What determines vine balance?
Vigor
Planting density
Fertility of soil
Training system
How does soil fertility correlate with density?
Poorer soil = higher root density Poorer soil = lower vigor Poorer soil = higher density UNLESS low water Fertile soil = high vigor =low density
How should alleys between rows be considered?
Alleys should never be narrower than the heights of the row canopy (so as not to cast shade on other fruiting areas)
BUT more costly
How to calculate distance between vines on a row
15 shoots per meter
Wider alleys = greater distance between plants bc wider alleys =more vigor since more soil space available
(More soil space means more trellis space)
What is row orientation influenced by?
Shape of field
Direction of slope
Wind
Orientation for cool climate vineyards?
North south =maximize sunlight in autumn
When did vines begin to be oriented and trellised in Europe?
After phylloxera
Why have elaborate trellising systems?
Control vine vigor and disease
What to consider when deciding on trellising system?
Legislation Geography Canopy surface/ha Cost and time of establishment and maintenance Mechanisation potential Popularity and attractiveness
What kind of trellis system might a vintner use at the bottom of a hill?
Higher one to escape frost
What is a bush vine? Why use it and where? Disadvantages?
Trained short with no trellis Common in warmer Mediterranean Low cost and low production Spur pruned Basket = cane pruned
Good:
Bunch shade
Maintenance costs low
Bad:
Yields (low planting density)
Less air circulation (disease)
All manual
What are staked vines? Positives/negatives/where? How high are they trained? How are they trained?
Vines tied to a single post
Low density planting
Good:
Can be trained higher = simpler vineyard operations
Greater air circulation
Bad:
Lower yield
Not good for high vigor sites
How:
Form a crown 20-30cm above ground and 2-4 canes fixed to stake
OR spur pruned without crown
Cote Rotie, southern France, Spain, Portugal, others (new world)
Why is single wire better than bush?
Forms a continuous row
Inexpensive to install and train
How are single wire systems trained?
Cordon and spur or head and cane
Cordon:
Trunk divided 15cm below wire and permanent horizontal cordon.
Head/cane:
Crown established below wire and up to 4 canes of 10 to 15 nodes along the wire, with two to four 2 node replacement spurs
Problem:
Shoots hang down so fruit isn’t protected
Two-wire vertical - style and advantages
Single fruiting wire and single foliage water .3-.5 above
Suited to mechanical pruning and harvesting
What is the name for two-wire vertical in California?
California sprawl
Where is VSP used? Why? Advantages/disadvantages?
France, Germany, cooler Australia, New Zealand
Used in areas with high fungal disease risk - keeps foliage off the ground
Also simplified mechanical operations (foliage in one area and fruit in another
Suitable for mechanization
Has movable foliage wires
Disadvantage:
High Shoot density = prone to shade
Bad for high vigor varieties and sites
(Divided canopy helps)
How is VSP trained and pruned?
Cane pruned or spur pruned on unilateral or bilateral cordons
What are the two main vertical divided systems?
Scott-Henry and Smart-Dyson
How does the Scott Henry system work?
Developed in Oregon, trialled in NZ and Australia (New World, machine harvest) Two fruiting wires (1 m and 1.15 m) 2m tall Top foliage = between two movable wires Bottom foliage = positioned downwards Cane pruning Machine harvesting
How does the Smart-Dyson system work?
Same as the Scott Henry system but cordon trained
Spurs point upwards and downwards = two canopies
Machine pruning and harvesting
Why are Scott Henry and Smart-Dyson superior to VSP?
Increased canopy surface = more photosynthesis and yield
Shoot density is halved = increased fruit exposure
De-vigorating effect because shoots are trained downwards
What is Guyot? Who invented it?
Replacement cane pruning system. Either single or double
Jules Guyot, 1860s
Name some examples of multi-wired horizontal trellis systems
Geneva Double curtain, U or lyre, overhead pergola
What is Geneva Double Curtain?
Horizontally divided with shoots trained downwards
At least 1m apart and 1m in length
Cordon/spur pruned
Good: Improve yield of quality fruit composition in vigorous soils Reduces shading Can be pruned and harvested by machine Devigorates
Used in Australia, Cali, Italy
What is the U-shaped or lyre trellis?
Developed in France
Used in Cali, NZ, Australia cool, Chile, Uruguay
Designed for medium to high vigor sites
Horizontally divided trellise with shoots trained upwards
Good:
Open canopy (yield and grape quality)
Macine pre pruned
Has specific harvester
Bad:
U needs to be open for leaf and fruit exposure
Cost of maintenance
What is the pergola system?
AKA tendone Overhead Productive system Trunks are 2m high Cane or spur pruned
Bad:
High construction and labor costs
Not good for high vigor sites (shading issues, powdery mildew and botrytis)
Timing of vineyard planting prep
Summer: remove existing vegetation and optionals
Autumn: Corrective fertilization, deep ploughing (20-60cm)
Spring: Deep cultivation, tracing out plantation (making sure straight), planting
What are the optional things to do when removing existing vegetation?
Level subsoil (dips can cause water to accumulate)
Assess erosion risk and plant trees, dig ditches, etc
Break up subsoil at 50-100cm
Soil tests to assess nutrient deficiencies (Can increase organic matter content above 2% by adding farmyard manure)
Increase pH above 6.5
Disinfect soil (kill nematodes) or leave soil fallow for 5-8 yrs
How would you increase a soil’s pH?
Use calcite (calcium carbonate), magnesite (magnesium carbonate), or dlomite
What compound can be used to improve structure?
Gypsum - reduces dispersion of surface soils
Why plough a vineyard site?
Bury existing vegetation, incorporate fertilizers, and increase aeration/drainage, expose large roots
What does drainage do?
Makes sure water runs off surface, taken by roots, absorbed into soil particle pores, evaporates from soil, drains down
How to improve drainage?
Add manure, organic matter, sand, grit, or lime
Ditches (cheapest)
Drainage pipes - usually plastic and perforated
Mole drainage (used on clay subsoil) - forms cylindrical channel in subsoil
Sub-soiling
Why terrace a vineyard
If the slope is over 20% - retaining walls are made of grass or stone. Expensive
When is best to plant rooted cuttings?
ASAP but wait until spring frost is over. Latest: July
How to protect rooted cuttings if not ready for planting?
Keep them in a dark cool place in plastic bags or buckets of water. Prevent drying
Why use plastic mulching?
No stake No risk of drought no weed competition Soil structure maintained Soil temp increased OVERALL: YOUNG PLANTS GROW FASTER, can gain a year
What are the disadvantages of plastic mulching?
Expense Frost risk Weeds Slugs, mice, snakes Arduous disposal of plastic Superficial rooting
How to care for young plants
Watering Weed control (compete for space) Rabbit protection Slug and snail protection Wind protection Disease protection Tying up and summer pruning (remove flowers and shoots) Replace unsuccessful vines
What happens if a vine is unpruned
Many short shoots further and further away from trunk
Irregular yiels
Many small bunches of high acid low sugar berries
How does pruning affect shoot size?
More buds = weaker individual vigor = shorter shoots = smaller leaf area
How should a vintner balance crop level and leaf area?
High crop + short shoots = over-cropping = high yields of bad fruit
Low crop + vigorous shoots = shoots growing too long, detriment to fruit and too much shading
Why prune?
Organize plant for maximum light
Organize plant for machines without damage
Avoid leaf bunching = reduce disease risk and increase quality/yield
What are the specs for an ideal canopy?
15 shoots/meter
Homogenous
1-1.5 leaf thickness
How is a vine’s vigor calculated?
The weight of the wood produced in one year
Why winter pruning?
Balance fruit and leaf area (depends on yield and quality desired)
What is an ideal fruit/leaf vine balance for a shoot with moderate yield?
12-15 nodes long shoot pencil thick
Internodal length 60mm
How to calculate how many budes to leave on a vine at winter pruning
Count how many ideal shoots were produced last year
Or remove most canes from vine, weigh them, and divide weight by 30-40
More buds in youth and only 5-15% in mature vines
What is canopy management?
Organization of shoots, leaves, and fruit to maximise quality of microclimate
Impt in cool climate regions and in New World (to curb vigor)
What happens when vines are too shaded?
Rate of respiration outstrips that of photosynthesis so leaf consumes rather than produces energy
What happens with shaded flowers on a vine?
Lower rates of successful fertilization and fruit set. Higher risk of fungal diseases
