Effect of Training System on Growth, Yield, Fruit Composition, and Wine Quality of Seyval Blanc

Abstract

Growth, yield, fruit composition, and fruit exposure were compared under seven training systems for Seyval blanc grapevines. Six-arm Kniffin (6-AK) produced highest weight of cane prunings (as did Pendelbogen (PB)), total shoots/vine, count shoots/vine, and (among others) highest bud break and shoots/count node. Hudson River Umbrella (HRU) produced the smallest vine size, but the most shoots and clusters/vine from non-count sources. Yield did not differ significantly between treatments, but 6-AK showed a tendency toward highest yield, clusters/vine, and (among others) berries/cluster. Fruit of HRU and Umbrella Kniffin (UK) trained vines had the highest pH and tartrate, along with the lowest titratable acidity (TA) and malate. Fruit from HRU, PB, Moselle, and Modified Keuka High Renewal (MKHR) trained vines had the highest °Brix. Fruit from midwire cordon vines had lowest °Brix and weight/berry, as well as having the second-highest TA. Compositional differences could be attributed to high fruit exposure in HRU and UK, and low exposure in midwire cordon. Non-orthogonal contrasts indicated that increasing trunk height and amount of perennial wood significantly maximized growth, fruit exposure, and pH, and minimized TA. Utilization of long canes, and short trunks (i.e., PB, Moselle, and MKHR) optimized sugar accumulation. This latter observation appeared to be a yield-related phenomenon.