GROWING GRAPES IN A COLD CLIMATE WITH WINTER TEMPERATURE BELOW -25°C

Twenty grape genotypes were evaluated with four winter protection methods (M1=vine without protection; M2=pinning half of the canes to the ground allowing for natural snow cover protection and the remaining canes left attached to the trellis wires without protection; M3=vine removed from the trellis, laid down and covered with geotextile fabric and M4= buried with 0.34 m of soil ‘traditional method’) at three locations in Quebec (Canada) differing in soil and microclimatic conditions.
Higher yields were recorded at Frelighsburg for ‘Vandal Cliche’ and ‘St.
Croix’ followed by ‘ES-4-7-25’ and ‘St.
Pepin’ with M1 and M2 winter protection.
Geotextile covering (M3) seems more effective for tender and semi-hardy genotypes.
Burial method (M4) of ‘Seyval blanc’ seems ineffective; it decreases yield and vigour and increases mortality.
Higher survival levels were observed at Frelighsburg compared to other locations due its southerly slope, sandy well drained soil and excellent winter protection by snow cover.
In both commercial vineyards, more than 50% mortality was observed for the semi-hardy genotypes ‘ES-6-12-28’, ‘GR-7’ and ‘Lucie Kuhlmann’ followed once again by ‘Siegerrebe’, ‘Vidal’ and ‘SV-18-307’ tender genotypes.
It seems that site location is the most important limiting factor followed by the choice of cultivar.
The use of Geotextile seems to be an excellent alternative to soil burial, which causes soil-borne diseases and increases the production costs.

XI Eucarpia Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

S. Khanizadeh, D. Rekika, A. Levasseur, Y. Groleau, C. Richer, H. Fisher

wine, winter hardiness, Geotextile, ‘Vandal Cliche’, ‘St. Croix’, ‘St. Pepin’, ‘Seyval blanc’, ‘Lucie Kuhlmann’, ‘Siegerrebe’, ‘Vidal’

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.663.172