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Canopy Management

May-August (Nov-Feb)

Canopy refers to leaves, shoots and fruit.

Canopy managment is about designing the architecture of a grapevine to guide its energy into the ultimate result of perfectly mature fruit. Most of the canopy management takes place from May to August (South: November-February).

Canopy Management Benefits

• Optimize the yield
• Improve the fruit quality
• Improve the sunlight exposure
• Provide good air circulation
• Reduce the risk of diseases

Canopy Management Methods

• Trellising
• Pruning
• Cluster Thinning
• Shoot positioning
• Leaf Removal

Canopy Management

The term Canopy refers to the grapevine structure that is above the ground.

Canopy management is the manipulation of grapevine canopies (buds, shoots, leaves, fruit) to optimize the production of quality grapes (according to the microclimate surrounding them).

Grapevine training, pruning and trellising affects the quantity of sunlight recieved by the vine. Different shapes determine the presentation of the leaf area to incoming radiation.

Profitable grape production requires that grapevines be managed so that a large crop of high-quality fruit is produced each year.

An ideal training strategy centers around the arrangement of plant parts, to develop a better plant architecture that optimizes the utilization of sunlight and promotes productivity.

Canopy Components

• The Roots

The roots are multi-branched structures that grow down to various depths into the soil and anchor the vine. Roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, store carbohydrates and produce the hormones that regulate vine growth.

• The Craft Union

Where the vine was crafted

• The Trunk

The main stem of the vine

• The Head

The end (top) of the trunk

• The Cordons

The cordons are extentions from the trunk, and the part where additional arms and eventually leaves and grape clusters will extend.

The cordons are usually trained along wires as part of a trellis system. This training usually fixes the cordon into a permanent position, such as horizontal extending from the trunk.

The brances tha grows off the cordons are called shoots, canes or spurs.

• The Shoots

The Shoots are the stalks extending from the cordon.

• The Canes

Canes are mature shoots after leaf fall. Green summer shoots that have matured into brown and woody shoots.

• The Spurs

A cane pruned back to one, two, or three buds.

Canes are larger and 1-2 years old, while spurs are smaller and younger.

• The Tendrils

Structures that coil around smaller objects (trellis wires, small stakes, and other shoots) to provide support for growing shoots.

• The Leaves
• The Flowers
• The Fruits

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The Cordons

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Shoots

A shoot consists of stems, leaves, tendrils and fruit. Shoots arise from buds from the previous growing season. The shoots are pruned in the process of "shoot thinning" to control grape yields.

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Spurs

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Tendrils

The shoot produces tendrils. These are structures that coil around smaller objects (i.e., trellis wires, small stakes, and other shoots) to provide support for growing shoots.

Tendrils grow opposite a leaf at the node, except the first two or three leaves at the base of the shoot. Thereafter, tendrils can be found opposite leaves, skipping every third leaf. Flower clusters and tendrils have a common developmental origin (Mullins et al., 1992), so occasionally a few flowers will develop on the end of a tendril.

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Some Definitions

• Planting density
  The number of plants planted in a determined area.
  Example: Average planting destiny in Burgundy is 8,000-10,000 vines per hectare.

• 1-year-old wood (aka cane)
  The previous year's shoot.
  Example: The buds on a cane will be shoots, tendrils and leaves.

• Hectares vs Acres
  1 acre = .4 Hectares / 1 hectare = 2.5 acres.

• Factors defining density
  Water and Nutrients

• Transpiration
  The warmer the climate, the faster water evaporates from the leaves. With high transpiration, lower density planting is needed.

• Fertile Soil
  Barely fertile soil is more desirable for viniculture.

• Inflorecence
  Clusters of flowers before they become flowers.

• Yield
  Yield mesures quantity of grapes.
  Tonnes per hectare. Hectoliters per hectare.

• Veraison
  The onset of ripening. When grapes changes color.
  Sugar increase. Acidity decrease.
  Tannin develop and become less astringent.

• Green Harvesting
  Dropping underdeveloped grapes. Reduce yield.
  Must be done ofter veraison.