Linking canopy architecture to grape quality using the LAICanopy app
Abstract
For grapevines, monitoring canopy architecture is important to assess growth, vigour and light transmission through the canopy to the developing buds and inflorescences, and fruit zone. These parameters, that reflect canopy development, can be correlated to yield, grape quality and productivity. Leaf area index (LAI) is widely used to measure canopy development through the season. However, this parameter is difficult to measure since it requires either labour-intensive direct techniques, such as allometry, or expensive instrumentation for indirect estimates. The University of Adelaide has developed an image analysis application (LAICanopy) for iOS devices that estimates LAI and canopy porosity for grapevine. LAICanopy uses cover digital photography and automated analysis by applying gap size assessment algorithms (Macfarlane et al., 2007, Fuentes et al., 2008). During the 2013-14 season, LAICanopy was used on 22 Shiraz vineyards and was effective in characterising canopy architectural parameters both within and across vineyards. It was also found that an independent grape quality assessment was significantly correlated to the relationship between LAI and fruit yield (an indicator of vine balance). This newly developed App could be used as a less expensive, accurate and highly portable alternative to other destructive or non-destructive methods to estimate LAI.
Issue: GiESCO 2015
Type: Extended abstract
Authors
1 The University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture Food and Wine, Waite Campus, PMB 1 Glen Osmond, 5064, South Australia
2 DJ’s Growers, Lot 12 Chalk Hill Rd, McLaren Vale, 5171, South Australia
3 University of Melbourne, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Parkville, 3010, Victoria
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Keywords
canopy architecture, leaf area index, vine balance, image analysis