%0 Journal Article %A Cain C. Hickey %A Tremain A. Hatch %A Jonathan Stallings %A Tony K. Wolf %T Under-Trellis Cover Crop and Rootstock Alter Growth, Components of Yield, and Fruit Composition of Cabernet Sauvignon %D 2016 %R 10.5344/ajev.2016.15079 %J American Journal of Enology and Viticulture %P ajev.2016.15079 %X Under-trellis groundcover [Festuca rubra cover crop (CC) compared with an 85-cm wide herbicide-treated strip (HTS)] and rootstock (101-14, 420-A, or riparia) were evaluated as means to proactively regulate Cabernet Sauvignon vegetative growth and improve fruit composition over a six- to seven-year period of data collection. Cover crop reduced average vine pruning weights by 26% and increased fruit exposure by 35%, compared to the HTS floor management scheme. Vines grafted to riparia rootstock had pruning weights that were lower than those of vines grafted to 101-14 in two years; however, rootstock effects were insignificant when averaged over the seven-year period of the experiment. There was a measurable crop yield penalty for the CC floor management: vines grown with CC averaged 610 kg/ha/year lower crop yields, and had reduced cluster weight, berries per cluster, and berry weight compared to vines in the HTS floor management. Riparia rootstock increased berry weight, cluster weight and crop yield per vine compared to 101-14. Fruit from vines grown with CC averaged greater soluble solids compared to vines grown with HTS. Rootstock 420-A resulted in fruit that had lower pH compared to fruit from 101-14 or riparia vines. Compared to 420-A, inconsistent improvements in grape anthocyanins and phenolics were observed in riparia (both) and 101-14 (phenolics only). Though more pronounced in early compared to later years of the experiment, the use of under-trellis cover crop reduced vine size in a desirable way. %U https://www.ajevonline.org/content/ajev/early/2016/04/05/ajev.2016.15079.full.pdf