Articles
THE EVOLUTION OF MECHANIZED VINEYARD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN CALIFORNIA
Article number
978_31
Pages
265 – 278
Language
English
Abstract
The mechanization of California vineyards began over 50 years ago with the development of the mechanical grape harvester.
Today over 80% of California wine grapes are harvested by machine, and the list of commonly mechanized practices includes pruning, shoot thinning, basal leaf removal, hedging, and pre-harvest crop removal.
Rapid advances in vineyard mechanization have occurred due to the co-evolution of machines, vine training systems and vineyard design, fostering the development of integrated production systems well suited to mechanical manipulation.
Single curtain canopies with defined fruiting zones and canopy form, such as the vertically shoot positioned (VSP) and high wire bilateral cordon training/trellising systems, are commonly employed.
These systems allow many cultural practices, including shoot thinning and basal leaf removal, to be mechanized at efficacy levels similar to those obtained when the practices are performed by hand.
However, the acceptance of mechanical pruning or box hedging the hedging of the fruiting zone at dormancy to retain 2 to 3 node bearing units without hand follow-up has been limited due to concerns regarding over-cropping and reduced fruit quality.
Studies performed over the past decade have shown that early-season irrigation management and pre-veraison mechanical crop removal are effective practices for managing crop load on box-hedged grapevines.
When crop load is properly managed, these studies indicate that box-hedged grapevines produce similar or improved fruit and wine quality compared to hand-pruned grapevines.
Current mechanization research in California is focused on the development of automated crop load management techniques, utilizing sensor technology to simultaneously measure and manage canopy and crop size.
While initially introduced as a method for reducing labor and associated production costs, current approaches to vineyard mechanization allow production efficiency and fruit quality to be optimized.
Today over 80% of California wine grapes are harvested by machine, and the list of commonly mechanized practices includes pruning, shoot thinning, basal leaf removal, hedging, and pre-harvest crop removal.
Rapid advances in vineyard mechanization have occurred due to the co-evolution of machines, vine training systems and vineyard design, fostering the development of integrated production systems well suited to mechanical manipulation.
Single curtain canopies with defined fruiting zones and canopy form, such as the vertically shoot positioned (VSP) and high wire bilateral cordon training/trellising systems, are commonly employed.
These systems allow many cultural practices, including shoot thinning and basal leaf removal, to be mechanized at efficacy levels similar to those obtained when the practices are performed by hand.
However, the acceptance of mechanical pruning or box hedging the hedging of the fruiting zone at dormancy to retain 2 to 3 node bearing units without hand follow-up has been limited due to concerns regarding over-cropping and reduced fruit quality.
Studies performed over the past decade have shown that early-season irrigation management and pre-veraison mechanical crop removal are effective practices for managing crop load on box-hedged grapevines.
When crop load is properly managed, these studies indicate that box-hedged grapevines produce similar or improved fruit and wine quality compared to hand-pruned grapevines.
Current mechanization research in California is focused on the development of automated crop load management techniques, utilizing sensor technology to simultaneously measure and manage canopy and crop size.
While initially introduced as a method for reducing labor and associated production costs, current approaches to vineyard mechanization allow production efficiency and fruit quality to be optimized.
Authors
N. Dokoozlian
Keywords
wine grapes, harvest, pruning, canopy management, crop load management, grape and wine quality
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