Articles
CANOPY MANAGEMENT EFFECTS ON YIELD, LABOUR INPUT, AND GROWTH COMPENSATION – NEW CANOPY COMPOSITION PERSPECTIVES
Article number
526_6
Pages
81 – 90
Language
Abstract
The effect of eight different canopy management treatments on yield, labour input, and growth compensation of a vertically trellised Vitis vinifera L. cv.
Sauvignon blanc/110 Richter vineyard was investigated.
Spurs were spaced 15 cm apart.
Supplementary micro-irrigation was applied.
Combinations of shoot positioning-suckering-topping and shoot positioning-suckering-topping-leaf removal resulted in the highest yields; substituting leaf removal by lateral removal noticeably decreased yields.
No canopy management resulted in the lowest yields.
Considering yield as well as labour input, lateral shoot removal can not be considered an economically viable practice.
Significant compensatory growth was brought about by the removal of lateral shoots.
That would have impacted on the distribution of carbohydrates and probably counterbalanced positive effects of improved microclimate.
Although the contribution of particularly medium and small leaves to yield was reduced by lateral removal, the total leaf area/g fruit was never less than the generally accepted norm of 12 cm2. The results therefore indicated that available leaf area can not generally be accepted as the norm, but that the composition of the leaf area should be taken into account, as it has a critical role in the efficiency of the canopy and the feeding of the bunches.
Ratios of main shoot leaf area to lateral shoot leaf area as well as practical canopy composition criteria are presented.
The results provide new perspectives on existing canopy composition criteria and clearly indicate the beneficial effects of correct canopy management.
Sauvignon blanc/110 Richter vineyard was investigated.
Spurs were spaced 15 cm apart.
Supplementary micro-irrigation was applied.
Combinations of shoot positioning-suckering-topping and shoot positioning-suckering-topping-leaf removal resulted in the highest yields; substituting leaf removal by lateral removal noticeably decreased yields.
No canopy management resulted in the lowest yields.
Considering yield as well as labour input, lateral shoot removal can not be considered an economically viable practice.
Significant compensatory growth was brought about by the removal of lateral shoots.
That would have impacted on the distribution of carbohydrates and probably counterbalanced positive effects of improved microclimate.
Although the contribution of particularly medium and small leaves to yield was reduced by lateral removal, the total leaf area/g fruit was never less than the generally accepted norm of 12 cm2. The results therefore indicated that available leaf area can not generally be accepted as the norm, but that the composition of the leaf area should be taken into account, as it has a critical role in the efficiency of the canopy and the feeding of the bunches.
Ratios of main shoot leaf area to lateral shoot leaf area as well as practical canopy composition criteria are presented.
The results provide new perspectives on existing canopy composition criteria and clearly indicate the beneficial effects of correct canopy management.
Authors
J.J. Hunter, D.J. Le Roux
Keywords
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