Effects of traditional and light pruning on viticultural and oenological performance of Bobal and Tempranillo vineyards

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aim</strong>: Light pruning may improve vine yield and quality although vineyard responses are variable. We assessed the effects of traditional manual pruning and mechanical light pruning on the viticultural and oenological performance of <em>Vitis vinifera </em>cv. Bobal and cv. Tempranillo.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results</strong>: During 2008-2011, Bobal and Tempranillo vineyards underwent traditional pruning or light pruning. The effects of both pruning techniques were determined in vine vigour and yield, and grape and wine characteristics. Both cultivars responded similarly to the pruning techniques assayed: i) light-pruned plants tended to overcrop, ii) grape yield significantly increased with light pruning and produced more clusters with smaller berries, and iii) the oenological characteristics of grapes were slightly affected since fruit ripeness was delayed in mechanically light-pruned vineyards.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion</strong>: Mechanical light pruning <em>vs.</em> traditional manual pruning offers potential benefits: 30% higher yields; lower cluster and berry weights; a 40% reduction in pruning costs; and production of wines with lower alcohol while maintaining colour and phenolics.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Significance and impact of the study</strong>: No detrimental effect of light pruning on grape characteristics was found, and the wines deriving from these grapevines offered good oenological characteristics. Mechanical light pruning may prove a suitable tool to prolong the vine vegetative cycle, which is reduced by the climate change in the Utiel-Requena region.</p>

Mechanical pruning and soil organic amendments in vineyards of Syrah: effects on grape composition

“…Some physical-chemical characteristics of grapes (Tables 1 and 2) were affected by the three factors in the study. Overall, TSS was negatively affected by MEC in all three years, as observed by other authors (Reynolds, 1988;Clingeleffer and Krake, 1992;Bovio and Lisa, 1996;Pérez-Bermúdez et al, 2015). However, there was a correlation between the TSS decrease and the yield increase induced by MEC, particularly as the organic amendments (namely Manure, MSWC and Sludge) provided more principal macronutrients, particularly N, and increased total dry mass production (Figure 1) (Botelho et al, 2020).…”

“…Although the TSS in grapes was reduced by the increase in yield, the total sugar production (data not shown) increased in the treatments with higher yield, as also observed by Pérez-Bermúdez et al (2015). In addition to the reduction in TSS caused by the increase in productivity, there was a significant tendency for Sludge grapes to have lower TSS when compared to the other organic amendments, including those with similar yields.…”

Cover crops and pruning in Bobal and Tempranillo vineyards have little influence on grapevine nutrition

“…The basic chemistry (ºBrix, pH, color, titratable acidity and polyphenol index) for each grape sample was determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry. For more analytical details, see Pérez-Bermúdez et al (2015).…”

“…Our results are in line with those reported by Main and Morris (2008) for Cynthiana grapevines, who observed that pruning had a slight influence on this cultivar since the authors found only minor differences in vine nutrition and fruit composition between the four pruning methods applied to the vineyard. Recently, we determined the effects of severe or light pruning on Bobal and Tempranillo vines by evaluating vine vigor and yield as well as grape and wine characteristics (Pérez-Bermúdez et al, 2015). In both vineyards with soil tillage, light-pruned vines produced more clusters, smaller berries and grape yield increased significantly (30%).…”

“…Several works have reported that light pruning not only increases yield, but it also reduces management costs compared to severe manual pruning (Archer and Schalkwyk, 2007;Main and Morris, 2008;Pérez-Bermúdez et al, 2015;Reynolds and Wardle, 2001). Some works also report that light pruning leads to the production of smaller bunches and berries, which may change grape and wine characteristics.…”