Terroir 2008 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Narrow terraces and alternative training systems for steep sloop viticulture – Douro region

Narrow terraces and alternative training systems for steep sloop viticulture – Douro region

Abstract

In Douro Region, vineyards are usually planted on hillsides with steep sloops. The models currently used for planting those vineyards are, depending on the initial slope of the hillside, vertical planting or terraces. Vertical planting is well adapted when the slope of the hillside is lower than 35-40% and terraces, supported by earthen embankment and one or two rows of vines are the solution for slopes higher than 35 – 40%. Terraces with two planting rows, 3.6 to 4.0m-wide were planted during the 1980s in more than 2500 ha. This solution proved to have disadvantages as to compel the maintenance of the embankment with chemicals for weeds control, high embankment height and consequent problems of instability and erosion.
Due to that in this work it is presented one correct way of constructing narrow terraces 2.5 m wide, using laser systems, and alternatives in control of weeds both in platform and in slope. Because narrow terraces have the disadvantage of a low planting density and yield potential, an experiment was performed with the variety “Touriga Franca”, representative of about 20% of vines in the region, grafted in 110R, two training systems and two planting row distances.
The results of the trial, performed in 2006 and 2007, showed that yield in the double cordon system (LYS 2/3) was respectively 62% and 52% higher than in the traditional vertical shoot positioning (VSP) without negative quality effect on quality of the grapes. Concerning planting row distance, 0.80m achieved a higher yield and better quality than planting at 1.20m.
Narrow terraces, constructed with rigor, proved to be an excellent alternative in planting hillside vineyards, 0.80m a better planting distance than 1.20m, both in terms of yield and on quality and double cordon LYS 2/3 a system suitable to improve yield, without quality detriment, as verified in these two years trials.

DOI:

Publication date: December 8, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2008

Type : Article

Authors

Jorge QUEIROZ (1); Mário CUNHA (1); António MAGALHÃES (2); David GUIMARAENS (2); Mário SOUSA (3) and Rogério CASTRO (4)

(1) Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto – Secção Autónoma de Engenharia das Ciências Agrárias, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão
(2) The Fladgate Partnership Vinhos, S. A., R. Barão de Forrester, 404, 4400 V.N. Gaia
(3) Direcção Regional de Agricultura Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Centro de Estudos Vitivinícolas do Douro – Quinta do Paço, 5050-071 Peso da Régua
(4) Instituto Superior de Agronomia – Universidade Técnica de Lisboa -Tapada da Ajuda, 1399 Lisboa Codex

Contact the author

Keywords

Douro, narrow terraces, training system, steep slope viticulture (SSV)

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2008

Citation

Related articles…

Hyperspectral imaging and machine learning for monitoring grapevine physiology

Rootstocks are gaining importance in viticulture as a strategy to combat abiotic challenges, as well as enhancing scion physiology and attributes. Therefore, understanding how the rootstock affects photosynthesis is insightful for genetic improvement of either genotype in the grafted grapevines. Photosynthetic parameters such as maximum rate of carboxylation of RuBP (Vcmax) and the maximum rate of electron transport driving RuBP regeneration (Jmax) have been identified as ideal targets for breeding and genetic studies. However, techniques used to directly measure these photosynthetic parameters are limited to the single leaf level and are time-consuming measurements.

Zoning of potential landscape and environment potential of the «Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Costières de Nîmes»

The Union defence of the “appellation Costières de Nîmes” hired a reflection on the future of its territory production in the interests of preservation and enhancement.

Sensory definition of green aroma concept in red French wines. Evidence for the contribution of novel volatile markers

The aromatic complexity of a wine results from the perception of the association of volatile molecules and each aroma can be categorized into different families. The “green” aromas family in red wines has retained our attention by its close link with the fruity perception. In that study, the “green” olfactory concept of red wines was considered through a strategy combining both sensory analysis and hyphenated chromatographic techniques including HPLC and MDGC (Multidimensional Gas Chromatography). The aromatic space of this concept was specified by lexical generation through a free association task on 22 selected wines by a panel of wine experts. Then, 70 French red wines were scored on the basis of the intensity of their “green” and “fruity” attributes.

Using unmanned aerial vehicle with multispectral camara to efficiently and precisely monitor the incidence of downy mildew and technical maturity of beibinghong (vitis amurensis Rpru.) grapes 

Multispectral unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been successfully applied in monitoring vine vegetative growth, however, there are still potential relationships between remote sensing vegetation indexes (vis) and vine condition or grape quality, so it is worthy a deeper investigation to make a better use of UAV. One of the purposes of the study is to find out vis that could denote the severity of downy mildew (DM), so that precise and differentiated control strategies would be adopted subsequently.

Effects of stress memory on grapevine resilience in response to recurrent drought and recovery events 

Plants have evolved different strategies to cope with environmental stresses and, although still debated, it was observed that they can remember past stress occurrence.
Anatomical and physiological adjustments have been observed in different grapevine cultivars after repeated drought exposure, however epigenetic, transcriptional and biochemical changes associated with drought-primed ecological memory have been poorly studied.
This work was conceived to test whether exposure to recurring events of mild drought could prime vines to endure severe drought stress. Particularly, we investigated whether the expected improved stress tolerance of Vitis vinifera cv Nebbiolo plants subjected over years to moderate and long-lasting water stress events (WS-primed) depended on molecular memory phenomena or on resetting of stress-induced signals.