Vineyard Management Flashcards

1
Q

what are the two types of vine training?

A

head training and cordon training

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

explain head training

A

This is when the vines don’t have a lot of permanent wood. They are then either spur-pruned or replacement cane-pruned.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

explain cordon training

A

Vines trained like this always have a trunk with at least one cordon (one or more permanent horizontal arms) and are usually spur-pruned. (takes longer)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what is an untrellised vine also known as ?

A

a bush vine (in hot climates and cannot be harvested mechanically)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is a gobelet?

A

a head trained vine using the bush vine technique

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what are the 5 things that will help a grower determine choice of grape variety to plant?

A
average temperature
rainfall
sunlight hours
fertility of soil 
how well soil drains
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Name some business considerations when selecting a site

A

proximity to vineyard for utility infrastructures, accessibility of workforce, site machinery, and cost of land.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

explain first steps in planting a new vineyard

A

vineyard must be cleared from and existing vegetation, fertility of soil tested and nutrients used if necessary, then young vines usually bought pre grafted from a nursery are planted either by hand or machinery

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

When does the first yield of a new vineyard typically come

A

in the 3rd year after planting

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

When are most vines replaced?

A

between 30-50 years old

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

how long is the land left fallow (unplanted) once a vineyard is dug up prior to planted new vines?

A

3 or more years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what are the main techniques used to manage a vine?

A

training, pruning, trellising, and the density of a plant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what is vine training?

A

the shape of permanent wood of a vine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

how many cordons do vines typically have?

A

one to two but could also have 4 or more to create big vine structures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what is vine pruning?

A

the removal of unwanted leaves, canes and permanent wood.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

When does pruning take place?

A

every winter and summer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the main purpose of winter pruning?

A

to determine the number and location of the buds that will form shoots in the coming growing season

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the two styles of winter pruning?

A
  1. spur pruning

2. replacement cane pruning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is spur pruning?

A

taking spurs that have been cut down to only 2 or 3 buds and either distributing along a cordon of permanent wood (cordon training) or around the top of the trunk (head training)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is replacement cane pruning?

A

taking one or two sections of old year old wood that has between 8-20 buds on it and retaining it, tying it horizontally to a trellis for support.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What else is replacement cane pruning referred to as?

A

Guyot training: one cane retained for Single Guyot and two canes for Double Guyot

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does summer pruning involve?

A

trimming the canopy to restrict vegetative growth and direct sugar production to the grape rather than growth of shoots and leaves. Can also involve leaf stripping

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what is the vine’s canopy made up of?

A

all the green parts of the vine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what are trellises?

A

permanent structures of stakes and wires that are used to support any replacement canes and the vine’s annual growth.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Describe an untrellised vineyard

A

vines that don’t have a trellis system and the shoots hang down sometimes all the way to the ground. Sometimes also called a bush vine.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Where are untrellised systems most likely found?

A

warm or hot, dry sunny regions (Southern Rhone in France, Barossa Valley in Australia).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Why are cool wet regions not good for untrellised vineyards?

A

the shade can impede grape ripening and the lack of airflow can promote disease.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

How does Beaujolais, France (cool wet region) avoid the problems with untrellised grapes?

A

shoots of head trained spur, pruned vines are tied together at the tips, which helps expose branches to air and sunlight.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

how do you plant vines in regions with low rainfall levels?

A

at low density levels so they don’t have to compete with neighboring vines for resources in the soil such as water and nutrients

30
Q

what is canopy management?

A

when each row of vines has a row of posts joined by horizontal wires and the vine’s shoots are then tied to the trellis.

31
Q

what are the three important reasons for doing canopy management?

A
  1. the arrangement of young shoots can be used to control the amount of sunlight that gets into the canopy
  2. an open canopy can improve air circulation through the leaves and grapes
  3. trellising can aid in mechanization in the vineyard
32
Q

What is the most widely used trellised system in vineyards?

A

VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning)

33
Q

what is VSP?

A

the vine’s shoots are trained vertically and are tied in place onto the trellis forming a single narrow canopy. Can be used with replacement cane or spur pruned vines.

34
Q

How is VSP used in hot sunny regions?

A

the tops of the shoots are not tied, but flop over creating some shade in the canopy to protect the fruit. producers might do this instead of using a bush vine because a machine can be used to harvest.

35
Q

what is planting density?

A

The number of vines that are planted in a given area typically expressed as vines per hectare

36
Q

what is a hectare?

A

and area enclosed by a square with 100 metre sides

37
Q

how many hectares equal 1 acre?

A

0.4

38
Q

What type of density would be considered for an area with low levels of rainfall or very limited irrigation and why?

A

low density - it allows the roots to take up water from a large volume of soil without having to compete with other neighboring roots

39
Q

What type of density would be considered for an area with low levels of nutrients and sufficient rainfall and why?

A

high density - it will counter act the effect where the vine would have enough water from the rain and even though the soil is not fertile it will still thrive. if not attended to it will grow vigorously and the green vegetation with produce in preference to fruit.

40
Q

How does a vine store energy over winter?

A

in the form of carbohydrates

41
Q

What type of density would be considered for an area with high levels of nutrients and sufficient rainfall?

A

very fertile soils are typically not good for vineyards. However in the new world a method using low density growing system using vines with multiple cordons or canes is able to produce good quality grapes at high yields.

42
Q

what are two ways the yield of a grape can be measured?

A
  1. weight - tonnes of grapes per hectare

2. volume - hectoliters of wine per hectares

43
Q

How does a producer reduce too high yields?

A

removing immature grapes after veraison (green harvesting)

44
Q

what is the risk of green harvesting?

A

if done at the wrong time the vine will compensate for the loss by increasing the size of the grapes that have been retained, diluting flavors

45
Q

Name 4 pests found in vineyards

A
  1. Phylloxera
  2. Nematodes
  3. birds and mammals
  4. insects
46
Q

what are nematodes?

A

microscopic worms that attack the roots of vines interfering with water and nutrient intake. can also transmit vine viruses

47
Q

how to treat nematode?

A

prevention is better than cure. Sanitize soil before replanting and using resistant rootstock

48
Q

How do birds and mammals impact a vineyard?

A

they consume large volumes of grapes leaving half eaten or crushed grapes that can lead to increased fungal disease

49
Q

how do you protect against birds and mammals in a vineyard?

A

netting is often best options for birds and protective fencing best choice for mammals.

50
Q

How do insects impact a vineyard?

A

feed on both grapes and leaves

51
Q

How do producers protect vineyard from insects?

A

they might spray with insecticides regualrly or use a more environmentally friendly technique called integrated pest management

52
Q

Name two type of fungal diseases

A
  1. downy and powdery mildew

2. Grey rot

53
Q

explain downy and powdery mildew ?

A

these are fungi that thrive in warm humid environment and can affect all green parts of the vine (leaves and grape)

54
Q

what happens to a vine if infected with downy and powdery mildew

A

grape will lose its fruity flavors and give the wine a mouldy bitter taint

55
Q

explain budburst

A

happens in spring. buds swell and burst growing into new shoots

56
Q

when does early shoot and leaf growth occur

A

march-may - northern hemisphere

sept - nov - southern hemisphere

57
Q

when does flowering and fruit set occur?

A

may - june - northern

nov - dec - southern

58
Q

when does veraison take place?

A

july-sept - northern

jan - march -southern

59
Q

Explain grey rot

A

caused by a fungus Botrytis cinerea, it thrives in damp conditions and attacks grapes. can taint grape flavors and lose of color in black grapes. however, in some white varietals can be beneficial and called noble rot

60
Q

how can fungal diseases be controlled?

A

by using fungicides (chemical sprays) typically sprayed by tractor. spraying must stop close to harvest to protect the wine
canopy management can also be used

61
Q

Besides fungal diseases name two other type of diseases in vineyards?

A
  1. viruses

2. bacterial

62
Q

how does a virus impact a vineyard?

A

numerous viruses can infect vines. most don’t kill the vine but limit it’s ability to function. they are highly contagious and persistent

63
Q

how are viruses spread?

A

nematode or cuttings

64
Q

how to treat a virus

A

no treatment or cure. need to dig up the vine and sanitize the land

65
Q

How does bacteria impact a vineyard?

A

large numbers can infect a vine. can kill vines, but will mostly just reduce grape quantity and quality.

66
Q

how are bacteria spread in vineyards?

A

small insects called sharpshooters

67
Q

How do you treat or cure bacteria?

A

no treatment or cure. only way to prevent is quarantine and interrupting the life cycle of the sharpshooters. once infected vine will need to be dug up and land sanitized

68
Q

Name three options other than using man made chemicals on vineyards

A
  1. Sustainable agriculture
  2. Organic Agriculture
  3. Biodynamic Agriculture
69
Q

explain sustainable agriculture

A

chemicals are not prohibited, but restricted. Producers are encouraged to understand the weather patterns and the life cycle of the pests to carefully calculate when to spray for the pests instead of just spraying all year continuously.

70
Q

explain organic agriculture

A

similar to sustainable agriculture however only a limited amount of traditional treatments and in very small quantities are allowed. Certification from an organic certification body is needed

71
Q

explain biodynamic agriculture

A

adoptig the organic procedures but also including philosophy and cosmology. producers adapt their grape growing to the cycles of the planets, moons and stars. homeopathic remedies called “preparations” are used to fertilize, treat disease and ward off pests. also certification bodies for this.

72
Q

what happens to tannin during veraisan?

A

the become less bitter and astringent