Vineyard Management Flashcards
what are the two types of vine training?
head training and cordon training
explain head training
This is when the vines don’t have a lot of permanent wood. They are then either spur-pruned or replacement cane-pruned.
explain cordon training
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)
what is an untrellised vine also known as ?
a bush vine (in hot climates and cannot be harvested mechanically)
what is a gobelet?
a head trained vine using the bush vine technique
what are the 5 things that will help a grower determine choice of grape variety to plant?
average temperature rainfall sunlight hours fertility of soil how well soil drains
Name some business considerations when selecting a site
proximity to vineyard for utility infrastructures, accessibility of workforce, site machinery, and cost of land.
explain first steps in planting a new vineyard
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
When does the first yield of a new vineyard typically come
in the 3rd year after planting
When are most vines replaced?
between 30-50 years old
how long is the land left fallow (unplanted) once a vineyard is dug up prior to planted new vines?
3 or more years
what are the main techniques used to manage a vine?
training, pruning, trellising, and the density of a plant
what is vine training?
the shape of permanent wood of a vine
how many cordons do vines typically have?
one to two but could also have 4 or more to create big vine structures
what is vine pruning?
the removal of unwanted leaves, canes and permanent wood.
When does pruning take place?
every winter and summer
What is the main purpose of winter pruning?
to determine the number and location of the buds that will form shoots in the coming growing season
What are the two styles of winter pruning?
- spur pruning
2. replacement cane pruning
What is spur pruning?
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)
What is replacement cane pruning?
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.
What else is replacement cane pruning referred to as?
Guyot training: one cane retained for Single Guyot and two canes for Double Guyot
What does summer pruning involve?
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
what is the vine’s canopy made up of?
all the green parts of the vine
what are trellises?
permanent structures of stakes and wires that are used to support any replacement canes and the vine’s annual growth.
Describe an untrellised vineyard
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.
Where are untrellised systems most likely found?
warm or hot, dry sunny regions (Southern Rhone in France, Barossa Valley in Australia).
Why are cool wet regions not good for untrellised vineyards?
the shade can impede grape ripening and the lack of airflow can promote disease.
How does Beaujolais, France (cool wet region) avoid the problems with untrellised grapes?
shoots of head trained spur, pruned vines are tied together at the tips, which helps expose branches to air and sunlight.
how do you plant vines in regions with low rainfall levels?
at low density levels so they don’t have to compete with neighboring vines for resources in the soil such as water and nutrients
what is canopy management?
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.
what are the three important reasons for doing canopy management?
- the arrangement of young shoots can be used to control the amount of sunlight that gets into the canopy
- an open canopy can improve air circulation through the leaves and grapes
- trellising can aid in mechanization in the vineyard
What is the most widely used trellised system in vineyards?
VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning)
what is VSP?
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.
How is VSP used in hot sunny regions?
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.
what is planting density?
The number of vines that are planted in a given area typically expressed as vines per hectare
what is a hectare?
and area enclosed by a square with 100 metre sides
how many hectares equal 1 acre?
0.4
What type of density would be considered for an area with low levels of rainfall or very limited irrigation and why?
low density - it allows the roots to take up water from a large volume of soil without having to compete with other neighboring roots
What type of density would be considered for an area with low levels of nutrients and sufficient rainfall and why?
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.
How does a vine store energy over winter?
in the form of carbohydrates
What type of density would be considered for an area with high levels of nutrients and sufficient rainfall?
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.
what are two ways the yield of a grape can be measured?
- weight - tonnes of grapes per hectare
2. volume - hectoliters of wine per hectares
How does a producer reduce too high yields?
removing immature grapes after veraison (green harvesting)
what is the risk of green harvesting?
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
Name 4 pests found in vineyards
- Phylloxera
- Nematodes
- birds and mammals
- insects
what are nematodes?
microscopic worms that attack the roots of vines interfering with water and nutrient intake. can also transmit vine viruses
how to treat nematode?
prevention is better than cure. Sanitize soil before replanting and using resistant rootstock
How do birds and mammals impact a vineyard?
they consume large volumes of grapes leaving half eaten or crushed grapes that can lead to increased fungal disease
how do you protect against birds and mammals in a vineyard?
netting is often best options for birds and protective fencing best choice for mammals.
How do insects impact a vineyard?
feed on both grapes and leaves
How do producers protect vineyard from insects?
they might spray with insecticides regualrly or use a more environmentally friendly technique called integrated pest management
Name two type of fungal diseases
- downy and powdery mildew
2. Grey rot
explain downy and powdery mildew ?
these are fungi that thrive in warm humid environment and can affect all green parts of the vine (leaves and grape)
what happens to a vine if infected with downy and powdery mildew
grape will lose its fruity flavors and give the wine a mouldy bitter taint
explain budburst
happens in spring. buds swell and burst growing into new shoots
when does early shoot and leaf growth occur
march-may - northern hemisphere
sept - nov - southern hemisphere
when does flowering and fruit set occur?
may - june - northern
nov - dec - southern
when does veraison take place?
july-sept - northern
jan - march -southern
Explain grey rot
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
how can fungal diseases be controlled?
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
Besides fungal diseases name two other type of diseases in vineyards?
- viruses
2. bacterial
how does a virus impact a vineyard?
numerous viruses can infect vines. most don’t kill the vine but limit it’s ability to function. they are highly contagious and persistent
how are viruses spread?
nematode or cuttings
how to treat a virus
no treatment or cure. need to dig up the vine and sanitize the land
How does bacteria impact a vineyard?
large numbers can infect a vine. can kill vines, but will mostly just reduce grape quantity and quality.
how are bacteria spread in vineyards?
small insects called sharpshooters
How do you treat or cure bacteria?
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
Name three options other than using man made chemicals on vineyards
- Sustainable agriculture
- Organic Agriculture
- Biodynamic Agriculture
explain sustainable agriculture
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.
explain organic agriculture
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
explain biodynamic agriculture
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.
what happens to tannin during veraisan?
the become less bitter and astringent
