Effects of different “dwarf-training” patterns on the berry quality of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Gernischet (Carmenère) in the Ningxia

Abstract

In order to reduce the cost of grape-burying in late autumn (ground covering vines under the row for winter, and being pulled out in the inter-row for the growing season) for preventing frost injury in the Ningxia region, 12 years old vines of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Gernischet (Carmenère) are used as test material in this experiment. They are cultivated in a particular way to reduce vigour and maintain the fruiting zone close to the ground, thus making the burying in late autumn easier. In such condition named « dwarf » vines, we have studied the influence of four kinds of training systems on photosynthesis, water potential, fruit quality and invertase activity at « veraison » :

• Vase dwarf-training system (control),
• Single-line inverted L type (L trellis moving the pruning wire/soil),
• Single-line inverted L (L trellis moving the pruning wire/soil)-erect branches (twin wires),
• Double-row inverted L type (L trellis moving the pruning wire/soil on each row). 

The results showed that as follows :

• The general « dwarfing effect » is the similar for each pattern on each
• There are some different effects on the growth and development of grapes between the four kinds of dwarf-training patterns. In the Single-line inverted L type, the foliage was in its utmost luxuriance ; it has the highest net photosynthesis rate and water potential in leaves, the largest berry weight the highest content of total soluble sugars reducing sugars tannins and titratable acidity in the mature stage of fruit ; and the invertase activity is the highest at« veraison ».
• In the mature stage of fruit, the Double-row inverted L has the highest content on pigments, and the Vase dwarf-training pattern has the highest content of sucrose.

Above all, we can see that the different dwarf-training patterns can promote the development and quality of the fruit. Under that condition in the Ningxia region, the production is not significantly reduced, and the best performance on quality is observed in the Single-line or Double-row inverted L types.