Precision canopy management of the grapevine: early defoliation and girdling

Abstract

Although different operations are applied in the cultivation of both wine grape and table grape varieties, the purpose is to produce healthy crop having the desired quality values, with the least possible amount of pesticide applied. Environmental risks and climate change are also becoming increasingly important issues in sustainable agricultural management. Early defoliation and girdling as precision phytotechnical methods can be used to implement the requirements of environmental consciousness and to achieve adequate grape quality parameters in wine making and table grape growing. Early defoliation of the cluster zone increases berry quality and reduces the possibility of rot infection by changing the microclimatic environment around the cluster and improving berry skin resistivity (Poni et al. 2006; Pastore et al. 2013).