Influence of Training System, Pruning Severity, and Spur Length on Yield and Quality of Six French-American Hybrid Grape Cultivars

Abstract

A four-year study was conducted on three red and three white commercially important French-American hybrid grape cultivars to determine their responses to training systems, pruning severities, and spur lengths. Chelois and Chancellor, both red, were the highest yielding cultivars, and Chelois was the most vigorous. Verdelet and Aurore, both white, were the lowest yielding cultivars, but had higher percent soluble solids and lower acidity at harvest than the higher yielding red cultivars. Regression analysis showed that the Verdelet and Aurore cultivars had a higher pH at a given percent soluble solids than did Seyval (white), Villard Noir (red), Chelois, and Chancellor cultivars. All cultivars except Aurore had higher yields on the Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) training system than on the single-wire, bilateral cordon system. Training system had no effect on pH or acidity, but the GDC training system produced lower percent soluble solids. There were no differences between the 10 + 10 and 20 + 10 pruning severities on yield, pruning weight or quality parameters, probably due to the productivity of non-count nodes. No differences occurred between the two-node spurs and the four-node spurs on yield, pruning weight, or quality parameters.