Grapevine pruning: some principles

[TEAM VMP ACADEMY]

Pruning allows to the management of yield per vine (or per m2) by controlling the number of latent buds (i.e. winter buds which bear the inflorescence primordia).

While pruning, some basic principles need to be considered for grapevine sustainability:

1. To respect the sap flows (xylem and phloem) by positioning the pruning wounds always (and when possible) on the same side of the arms and spurs (cordon pruning). For spurs it is possible to alternate the wounds to allow vertical spurs (Figure 1)

2. For cane/Guyot pruning to avoid to form a willow head (Guyot/cane pruning) (Figure 2).

3. To avoid creating dead zones (desiccated cones) within the perennial organs (trunk, arms, spurs…) by avoiding cutting close to the wood (Figures 3 & 4).

4. Therefore, in wood older than 1 year, a portion of wood should be left while pruning (the length should be 1,5 or 2 times the diameter of the pruned organ) as showed by figure 5.

5. The consequence could be the development of the basal buds which will require some extra work by cleaning/removing the issued growing shoots in spring.

6. The general aims are

i) to avoid the increase of necrotic-dead wood/tissues over years;

ii) to maintain the vascular system (xylem-phloem) operational.

7. It is also recommended for the two buds’ spur to cut just below the third winter bud on the cane to let a pat of internode long enough to avoid the necrosis of the tissue and of the winter bud located below the wound (figure 6).

These pruning objectives should help:

a) To achieve more homogeneous budbreak and primary shoot development & therefore homogeneous vines.

b) To achieve a better fruit zone microclimate (depending on the vegetative expression/vigour of the vines).

c) to avoid wood diseases propagation (Esca, Botryosphaeria
dieback…) which is one of the goals of gentle pruning
(taille “non mutilante”)”.

A. Deloire

Acknowledgments: Thanks to Dr Suzy Rogiers (DPI-NSW, Australia) for English proof reading.

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[TEAM VMP ACADEMY]

More in:

Faúndez-López P., Gutiérrez-Gamboa G., Moreno-Simunovic Y., (2021). The role of diaphragm as a natural resistance to the necrosis produced by pruning cuts, IVES Technical review, DOI: https://doi.org/10.20870/IVES-TR.2021.4817

Lecomte P., Diarra B., Boisseau M., Weingartner S., Rey P., (2021). Preventing ESCA in Vitis vinifera by proscribing vine training systems or mutilating pruning methods, IVES Technical Reviews, DOI: https://ives-technicalreviews.eu/article/view/4734

Simonit M., (2015). Guide de la taille Guyot, Editions France Agricole.

Simonit M., (2018). Guide le la taille Cordon, Editions France Agricole.

Sicavac, (2015). Manuel
des pratiques viticoles contre les maladies du bois, BIVC, Sicavac
Centre-Loire, Imprimerie Paquereau, ISBN 978-2-37006-000-6.