Fruit Environment and Crop Level Effects on Pinot noir. I. Vine Performance and Fruit Composition in British Columbia

Abstract

Three-year-old Pinot noir vines growing in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia (BC) were subjected over four years to three canopy treatments (10 shoots/m row, 20 shoots/m row, Scott Henry with 10 shoots/m canopy) in combination with two crop levels (full crop, half crop) in a factorialized treatment arrangement. Scott Henry-trained vines had lowest weight of cane prunings and highest crop loads. The 20 shoots/m row and Scott Henry vines had higher yields and clusters per vine along with lower cane weights and berry weights, than the 10 shoots/m row treatments. Reducing crop level led to slightly less yield per vine, but higher cluster weights, berries per cluster, and berry weights. The 20 shoots/m row and Scott Henry treatments had lowest soluble solids, pH, anthocyanins, and juice color (OD₄₂₀, OD₅₂₀, intensity; 20 shoots/m only), but Scott Henry had lowest berry and juice titratable acidity (TA). Reducing crop level increased soluble solids, pH, and juice color (OD₄₂₀, hue, intensity). Both the 10 shoots/m row and Scott Henry treatments contained the least dense canopies with the least percentage of shaded clusters. Since Scott Henry training produced relatively high yields, good canopy density, and acceptable fruit composition, this training system is recommended for low to moderately-vigorous Pinot noir vines.