Canopy and cropload management in hybrid

winegrapes

Justine Vanden HeuvelChing Sun, Gavin Sacks

What’s wrong with this picture?

Smart and Robinson, 1991

Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia

What’s wrong with this picture?

Riesling in NYS

Cluster exposure impacts flavor and aroma composition

Meyers, 2010

Oo

Chardonnay in NYS

Open canopies result in better spray coverage

Austin, 2010

Wilcox and Austin, 2009

Open canopies have lower incidence of disease

How do we achieve an open, balanced hybrid canopy?

Hybrid canopy management studies

• Foch– Shoot thinning and harvest date

• Seyval blanc– Shoot thinning and cluster thinning

• Corot Noir– Shoot thinning and cluster thinning

• Noiret– Shoot thinning and leaf removal

Shoot thinning, harvest date Marechal Foch 2007

Control Shoot-thinned

Early harvest: Sept. 11Late harvest: Sept. 18

Foch

CE = control, early harvest, CL = control, late harvestSTE = shoot thinned, early harvest, STL = shoot thinned, late harvest

a a

bb

Foch

aa

bb

CE = control, early harvest, CL = control, late harvestSTE = shoot thinned, early harvest, STL = shoot thinned, late harvest

Foch

• Brix: 22.7 - 24.3 (harvest date only)

• pH: 3.62 - 3.70 (harvest date only)

• TA: 8.67 – 9.50 g/L (ST and harvest date)

Foch

b

aa

b

aa

bb

CE = control, early harvest, CL = control, late harvestSTE = shoot thinned, early harvest, STL = shoot thinned, late harvest

Ratio of compound peak to IS peak area

CE = control, early harvest, CL = control, late harvestSTE = shoot thinned, early harvest, STL = shoot thinned, late harvest

Foch

sweat,cheese

sweet,clove,smoke,bandaid

fruit,banana,apple,rose

solvent,fruit,potato,chocolate flower,

apple

grass,green

ST and harvest date impact Foch aroma compounds

FochTriangle Tests

Foch Triangle Tests• Shoot thinned late harvest preferred over

Control late harvest • Shoot thinned late harvest preferred over

Shoot thinned early harvest

Control (2007)

ST (2007) Control (2008)

ST (2008)

Yield (t/a) 4.1 3.3 7.0 5.3

Rev. per acre

$2,460 - $4,662 -

Add. costs per acre

$0 $54 $0 $54

Add. cost per ton

$0 $16.36 $0 $10.18

Req. price/ton

$600 $761 $666 $890

Add. bottle price

$0 $0.22 $0 $0.31

Maintaining revenue per acre in Foch vineyard:

Canopy management of Seyval

Shoot-thinned (5 shoots per foot)

Control

Treatments: shoot-thinned, cluster-thinned, shoot-thinned + cluster-thinned

Seyval

Con = control, ST= shoot-thinned, CT = cluster-thinned, ST+CT = shoot-thinned + cluster-thinned

Seyval

Con = control, ST= shoot-thinned, CT = cluster-thinned, ST+CT = shoot-thinned + cluster-thinned

pH = 3.52 – 3.65TA = 7.54 – 8.09 g/L

Con = control, ST= shoot-thinned, CT = cluster-thinned, ST+CT = shoot-thinned + cluster-thinned

Seyval

To maintain revenue of $7,356 per acre in Seyval vineyard:

Control

ST CT ST+CT

Yield (t/a) 12.0 9.6 8.1 6.6

Add. costs per acre

$0 $54 $62 $116

Add. cost per ton

$0 $5.62 $7.65 $17.57

Req. price per ton

$613 $772 $915 $1,132

Add. bottle price

$0 $0.22 $0.42 $0.72

Choosing a training system

Noiret on VSP

Managing hybrid canopies

Same concepts apply as in vinifera – but different practices are required to achieve a balanced, open canopy

• Choose training system and CM practices based on growth habit (upright vs. procumbent), anticipated vigor, site, and growing season

• Don’t undercrop! (But don’t overcrop…). Calculate cropload on 5 sentinel vines per acre.

• ST and CT if needed (often on vigorous hybrids)