Author(s):
Cruz, Amândio 
; Piovene, Chiara ; Claro, Aurélio ; Rodrigues, Ana ; Castro, Rogério
Date: 2011
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/5085
Origin: Repositório da UTL
Subject(s): vineyard; mechanical pruning
Description
With the objective of costs reduction in winter pruning, a trial
field was conducted from 2008 to 2010 to compare mechanical
pruning (MEC = hedge pruning) with manual pruning (MAN), in
the Dão region, Portugal, with the red grape variety Alfrocheiro,
one of the most important of this denomination. The different
types of pruning had already been introduced in 2007.
The results obtained showed the same effect during the three
years. In 2008 and 2009 the MEC yield was more than twice the
MAN yield, with minimum differences in the wine quality
(alcohol content and colour components). In 2010 there were also
significant differences on yield, and mechanical pruning
originated more than 50% of production. Also in this year, the
differences in wines quality were small.
The high yield in mechanical pruning is mainly due to the
higher number of clusters, which compensate the fact that they are
smaller.
In 2008, differences in yield were also marked by the
occurrence of coulure on manual pruning, a phenomenon not
observed in mechanical pruning.
In mechanical pruning, every year was observed a significant
and alarming reduction on the vines vigour (shoot weight, shoot
and laterals leaf area), although total leaf area per plant was about
4 times higher than in manual pruning.
In 2010 the predawn leaf water potential did not indicate any
differences between the two types of pruning.
