Bud break: a critical stage for vine growth and the start of phenological monitoring

Grapevine development includes several phenological stages, from bud break to berry maturation. Different criteria are used to define the budburst date, such as the grape variety, the soil water status and temperature during the dormancy as well as the growing conditions in the vineyard. 

 – What is the impact of climate change on bud break? 

Warmer temperatures in late winter or early spring alter the dormancy cycle of the grapevine. Thus, climate change accelerates the initiation of bud break and increases the risk of frost damage. It could impact several criteria: the homogeneity of bud break and growth, the bud fertility, the number of shoots and clusters per vine and the berry maturation.

– How to delay bud break? 

Different techniques can be used to delay bud break and to avoid the risk of spring frost damage. The pruning system and irrigation treatment may have an impact on the percentage and timing of budburst. For example, late pruning may be used to delay bud break, among other techniques. 

For more information on phenology and frost risk management, dive into the following articles and technical resources:

• Comparison of methods for determining budburst date in grapevine.
• Delaying grapevine bud break to prevent spring freeze damage impacts Lemberger wine flavour compounds under variable weather conditions.
• Adaptation to climate change by determining grapevine cultivar differences using temperature-based phenology models.

• Grapevine latent bud dormancy and shoot development
• Uncertain changes to spring frost risks in vineyards in the 21st century
• Phenology: Follow the internal clock of the vines
• Measuring the phenology to more effectively manage the vineyard
• Late frost protection – what to retain from the Champagne experience? 
• Late pruning of the vine

• Phenotyping bud break and trafficking of dormant buds from grafted vine
• Post-spring frost canopy development and fruit composition in cv. Barbera grapevines
• Adaptability of grapevines to climate change: characterization of phenology and sugar accumulation of 50 varieties, under hot climate conditions