Vineyard Management & Harvest

Question 1

What is RDI?

Answer 1

Regulated Deficit Irrigation is a system of timing and regulating the amount of irrigation used in a vineyard

Question 2

When would RDI usually be used?

Answer 2

The deficit will usually be scheduled between fruit set and veraison

Question 3

What is under-cropping?

Answer 3

When yield of fruit is too low compared to the vigour of the vine, shoot growth continues through the vine cycle because there’s not much fruit to ripen

Question 4

What is over-cropping?

Answer 4

When yield of fruit it too high compared to the vigour of the vine, it may gain sugars from carbs stored in the trunk, cordons and roots.

Question 5

Why might vertical shoot positioning trellising not be suitable for high vigour varieties?

Answer 5

Vigorous vines can produce a lot of shoots, if trellised on VSP the canopy can become too dense which will mean too much shading of the grapes.

Question 6

What is crop thinning?

Answer 6

The removal of bunches of grapes in order to increase ripeness of grapes left on the vine

Question 7

What is disbudding?

Answer 7

The removal of buds and conducted to manage balance and yields, also to remove poorly positioned buds

Question 8

What is hilling up?

Answer 8

Building up the soil around the vine graft for insulation against freeze

Question 9

What is Advective Frost?

Answer 9

A frost caused by large volumes of cold air moving in from very cold areas

Question 10

What are Radiative Frosts?

Answer 10

They are the result of heat being lost on still, cool nights. Cloud cover during the day stops the earth being heated, then windless nights allow freezing cold air to develop

Question 11

What is aspersion?

Answer 11

The use of sprinklers to protect the vine from frost. Only method that can be used to combat advective frosts

Question 12

What are some phylloxera immune rootstocks?

Answer 12

V.berlandieri, V.riparia, V.rupestris

Question 13

What pest spreads fanleaf virus?

Answer 13

Dagger Nematode

Question 14

What are two common types of Nematode?

Answer 14

Dagger and Root-knot

Question 15

What are the major pests in a vineyard?

Answer 15

Phylloxera
Nematodes
Grape Moths
Spider Mites
Birds,
Mammals

Question 16

What is Bordeaux mixture?

Answer 16

A mixture of copper sulfate and lime, used to combat downy mildew

Question 17

What are 2 symptoms of Esca?

Answer 17

TIger-striping of the leaves and spotting inside the wood

Question 18

Where is Eutypa Dieback prevalent?

Answer 18

South Australia, South West France and California

Question 19

Which insect spreads Pierce’s disease?

Answer 19

Glassy winged sharpshooter

Question 20

What are the symptoms of Grapevine Yellows?

Answer 20

Delayed budburst, drooping posture and canopy turning yellow (white varieties) and red (black varieties)

Question 21

Which vector spreads Grapevine Yellows?

Answer 21

Leafhoppers

Question 22

What are symptoms of Fanleaf Virus?

Answer 22

Early shoot growth is stunted, canes grow in distorted ways and leaves are very pale, malformed and can look like a fan

Question 23

How is Fanleaf Virus spread?

Answer 23

By using infected plant material when grafting and dagger nematode

Question 24

How is Leafroll Virus spread?

Answer 24

Spread by grafting and by mealy bugs

Question 25

What is the minimum potential alcohol level for Petit Chablis, Chablis and Bourgogne Blanc?

Answer 25

PC - 9.5%
Chablis - 10%
Bourgogne Blanc - 10.5%

Question 26

What are the three main ways a grower may measure ripeness?

Answer 26

Sugar Levels
Acidity Levels
Aroma and Tannin Ripeness

Question 27

How can you measure acidity levels?

Answer 27

Titration can be used to calculate acid levels - a method of finding out the amount of a substance in a solution by graduall adding measures amounts of another substance that reacts in a known way