The influence of two methods of crop removal at different leaf areas on maturation of Sauvignon blanc (<em>Vitis vinifera</em> L.)
Amber Kaye Parker,
Michael C.T. Trought,
Rainer W. Hofmann,
Andrew R.G. Mclachlan,
Cornelis van Leeuwen
Affiliations
Amber Kaye Parker
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Lincoln, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand; The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Marlborough, Marlborough Wine Research Centre, 85 Budge St, PO Box 845, Blenheim 7240, New Zealand; Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
Michael C.T. Trought
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Marlborough, Marlborough Wine Research Centre, 85 Budge St, PO Box 845, Blenheim 7240, New Zealand; Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
Rainer W. Hofmann
Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
Andrew R.G. Mclachlan
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
Cornelis van Leeuwen
Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV), Ecophysiology and Functional Genomics of the Vine (EGFV), UMR 1287, 33140 Villenave d’Ornon, France
Aim: The research aims to determine if removing all bunches from alternate shoots had the same effect on berry maturity parameters of Sauvignon blanc as removing alternating bunches – apical versus basal – from each shoot. Methods and results: Shortly after fruit set, 50% crop was removed from four-cane vertical shoot positioned (VSP) pruned vines using the two different methods. At the same time, all the shoots were trimmed to six or 12 main leaves. Soluble solids (°Brix), pH, titratable acidity and berry weight were measured weekly from pre-veraison to harvest. Leaf area and yield were also measured at harvest. There were no differences in fruit composition between the two methods of crop removal. However, reducing leaf number per shoot from 12 to six leaves delayed veraison, reduced soluble solids accumulation and reduced berry weight with no additional effect from the thinning treatments. Conclusions: The thinning methods produced no differences in berry maturity parameters of Sauvignon blanc, indicating that carbohydrates can be readily translocated from shoots with no bunches to those with bunches. Significance and impact of the study: Carbohydrate translocation can occur at the whole-vine level where shoots behave as an integrated system and not as individual shoot units, especially under source-limited conditions.
