Articles
VINEYARDS IN THE YEAR 2000: TECHNICAL PRESSURES
Sophisticated breeding and propagation methods will be operative and new genetic material will be readily accepted to meet consumer demands.
The numerous advantages of parthenocarpic berries will be exploited for all usages.
Greater control of shoot growth, fruit production, berry development and berry composition will be achieved, using a number of techniques, including rootstocks.
Trellises will be adapted for these changes and wide rows may be rare.
The functioning of roots will be then understood and the symbiotic association with mycorrhizae utilized.
Coupled with a knowledge of mineral and water requirements and supply, this will permit an exploitation of new environments for the grapevine and a better cultivation of established areas.
Smaller and more efficient in-row machines, adapted to standardized narrow rows, will handle pruning, harvesting and other operations in an integrated manner, in some instances using quite novel techniques.
Growth regulation and abscission control by chemicals will be available though, by the year 2000, genetic solutions to many cultural problems will be at hand.
Pest and disease problems will remain, albeit changed in many details from the present array.
There will be many new processing, packaging and transport methods in use.