Abstract
Dormant cane pruning has a great impact on vineyard management both in terms of labour costs and the time required to complete this field operation in the absence of mechanisation. In this study, we investigated over three seasons the influence of five pruning dates on yield components, grape composition, phenology and carbohydrate reserves in the variety Merlot, grown in a warm climate area. Pruning was conducted soon after harvest, at the end of leaf fall, two bud dormancy stages and vine bleeding. Early pruning, carried out a few days after the grape harvest, did not significantly affect vine productivity or grape composition in the next season compared to full winter pruning. Similarly, non-structural carbohydrate concentration in trunk and roots showed no difference just before budburst, no matter the timing of pruning. Late winter pruning at vine bleeding slightly postponed budburst and flowering; it also delayed veraison in one out of two years of observation without affecting grape maturity. Our findings suggested that, in a warm-climate area where leaf fall occurs within a ten-week period after harvest, early pruning had no detrimental effects on reserve accumulation in storage organs and, therefore, in vine yield and grape composition in the next harvest, thus allowing viticulturists to operate winter pruning over an extended interval of time.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
