Mechanical pruning on a vertical shoot positioning system in Dão Region
2011
Cruz, Amândio | Piovene, Chiara | Claro, Aurélio | Rodrigues, Ana | Castro, Rogério
With the objective of costs reduction in winter pruning, a trial field was conducted from 2008 to 2010 to compare mechanical pruning (MEC = hedge pruning) with manual pruning (MAN), in the Dão region, Portugal, with the red grape variety Alfrocheiro, one of the most important of this denomination. The different types of pruning had already been introduced in 2007. The results obtained showed the same effect during the three years. In 2008 and 2009 the MEC yield was more than twice the MAN yield, with minimum differences in the wine quality (alcohol content and colour components). In 2010 there were also significant differences on yield, and mechanical pruning originated more than 50% of production. Also in this year, the differences in wines quality were small. The high yield in mechanical pruning is mainly due to the higher number of clusters, which compensate the fact that they are smaller. In 2008, differences in yield were also marked by the occurrence of coulure on manual pruning, a phenomenon not observed in mechanical pruning. In mechanical pruning, every year was observed a significant and alarming reduction on the vines vigour (shoot weight, shoot and laterals leaf area), although total leaf area per plant was about 4 times higher than in manual pruning. In 2010 the predawn leaf water potential did not indicate any differences between the two types of pruning.
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