Impacts du système de conduite sur les coûts de production et la qualité des fruits  

Tim Martinson, Ph. D Senior Extension Associate Department of Horticulture 

Cornell University  

One of the basic principles of viticulture is that vines function best and deliver optimal fruit quality - and quantity- when the grapevine canopy is in balance with the amount of fruit the vine is carrying. This applies whether or not the crop is Concord juice grapes or high-end Cabernet franc. A grower managing a vineyard wants to have the proper ratio of leaf area to fruit to be able to support a reasonable (or large) crop and be able to ripen it. Too much vegetative growth (under cropping) leads to shoot crowding, excessive shading, numerous leaf layers, and less fruitful buds the following year. Too little leaf area for the amount of fruit present and the fruit won't ripen (overcropping). The importance of open canopies. Exposure to light directly influences fruit composition. It can improve brix levels, phenolics, and monoterpenes, while reducing acidity. In red varieties, light exposure reduces levels of methoxypyrazines - the compounds responsible for 'green bell pepper' flavors - at harvest. Open canopies also improve light interception by leaves, promote air flow and rapid drying, and thereby reduce disease incidence. Not incidentally, open canopies also make it a lot easier to get good spray deposition and disease control. Managing canopy density and cropping level can be a multi-faceted process, starting with dormant pruning, continuing with shoot thinning, cluster thinning, canopy zone leaf removal, and shoot tipping or summer hedging. If you are lucky, and have a moderate vigor site, dormant pruning alone will result in moderate growth conducive to optimal crop levels and an open canopy. Leave the right number of buds and the rest will follow. More often, you may need to use additional canopy management techniques to improve light interception and produce a quality crop. Training systems and cost. Choice of training systems directly influence the cost and need for canopy management practices, so the benefits of each training system must be weighed against labor requirements for these training systems. Systems such as Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) requiring followup canopy management practices cost 30% more in labor than some other systems such as top wire cordon (TWC) – and their higher cost must be weighed against benefits in fruit quality. Many hybrids, including several of the northern grape cultivars, have downward growth habits that may be more suitable to high wire training systems than midwire or low wire systems. Canopy management practices such as shoot and cluster thinning influence both the light environment and crop levels. I will use several examples from our hybrid canopy management studies in New York to illustrate both the cost per ton and cost per bottle of these practices, and will argue that growers and winemakers need to be able to recoup the cost of these practices by being able to charge more for higher quality wine, or more per ton for producing quality grapes.

Impacts du systImpacts du systèème de conduite sur les me de conduite sur les cocoûûts de production et ts de production et 

la qualitla qualitéé des fruitsdes fruits

Training Systems and Canopy Management: Costs and BenefitsTraining Systems and Canopy Management: Costs and Benefits

Tim MartinsonTim MartinsonSenior Extension Associate in ViticultureSenior Extension Associate in Viticulture

Justine Justine VandenVanden HeuvelHeuvelAssistant ProfessorAssistant Professor

Trent Trent PrezslerPrezslerGraduate research assistantGraduate research assistant

Farming for Flavors

Grapes

“does exhibit cherry and black currant flavors and aromas…but can be much more complex with integrated notes of blackberries, pepper, plum, tobacco, leather, and spice”.$$$?

• Space

• Vigor

• Shoot density

• Shading

Vines in a Vines in a ‘‘BoxBox’’

Tools •Vine Spacing•Training system•Irrigation •Canopy Management

•Shoot thinning•Leaf removal•Hedging

•Crop Management•Pruning severity•Cluster Thinning

Traminette 2007Excess Vigor

Exposed

ShadedExcessive Vigor

Drought Stress 2005Inadequate Vigor

The Goal:The Goal:BalanceBalanceThe The 

Challenge: Challenge: $$$$$$

6

Long Island MerlotLong Island Merlot22--3 T/acre $18003 T/acre $1800--2400/Ton2400/Ton

$25 $25 --$40 Bottle Price$40 Bottle Price22--3 T = $3600 3 T = $3600 -- $7200/acre$7200/acre

Growing costs: $3Growing costs: $3--4,000/acre4,000/acre

7

Finger LakesFinger LakesCayuga WhiteCayuga White

77--8 T/acre ($5008 T/acre ($500--600/T)600/T)$10 Bottle Price$10 Bottle Price

7-8 T = $3500 - $48004800Growing costs: $1,500Growing costs: $1,500--1,800/acre1,800/acre 8

Concord Concord –– Geneva Double CurtainGeneva Double Curtain

Lake ErieLake ErieConcordConcord

88--10 T/acre10 T/acre$200$200--260/Ton260/Ton

88--10 T = $1600 10 T = $1600 -- $2600$2600Growing costs: >$1,500/acreGrowing costs: >$1,500/acre

9

Training System and Canopy ManagementTraining System and Canopy Management

• What does it cost?

• What are the benefits?

Justine Vanden Heuvel

•• ExamplesExamples

–– Shoot thinning on hybridsShoot thinning on hybrids

–– MarechalMarechal Foch Shoot thin and Harvest date Foch Shoot thin and Harvest date 

–– Riesling and cluster thinningRiesling and cluster thinning

CaneCane--Pruned Vertical Shoot PositioningPruned Vertical Shoot Positioning

30 30 –– 36 inches36 inches(0.8(0.8--1 M)1 M)

> 3 Ft Canopy> 3 Ft Canopy(1 M)(1 M)

> 12 leaf/shoot> 12 leaf/shoot

44--6 shoots/ foot of canopy6 shoots/ foot of canopy(12(12--15/M)15/M)

Summer HedgingSummer Hedging‘‘Shoot TippingShoot Tipping’’

Basal Leaf RemovalBasal Leaf Removal

Marechal FochUmbrella Kniffen

DechaunacTop Wire Cordon

Pinot grisVertical Shoot Positioning - Cane

HosmerHosmer Winery Winery –– Cayuga LakeCayuga Lake

Varietal growth habitVarietal growth habit

VerticalVertical

LateralLateral

Hudson River Umbrella system, Vignoles, Research Station, Summerland, BC

RENEWAL ZONERENEWAL ZONE

Photo by Andy Reynolds, Brock University

Top Wire CordonTop Wire Cordon

Canopy Management for High Cordon (or Umbrella)?

• Hedging/Leaf Removal (not practical)

• Shoot positioning (yes ‐combing)

• Shoot thinning (yes)

• Cluster thinning (yes –but often not necessary)

Annual Growing Costs/AcreAnnual Growing Costs/Acre34%

Source: Gerald White ‘Cost of Establishment of V. vinifera in Finger Lakes 2010’

The best canopy management is The best canopy management is no canopy managementno canopy management

•Canopy management costs money

•Canopy management often reduces yield

• Payoff: increased quality or marketability

Inputs:Inputs:LaborLabor

Potential CropPotential Crop

Output:Output:Riper Fruit, Better WineRiper Fruit, Better Wine

‘‘Willingness to PayWillingness to Pay’’18

Canopy Management: Canopy Management: One Component of Cropping SystemOne Component of Cropping System

• Vineyard  design (spacing, rootstocks, etc)

• Choice of Training System

•• Pruning intensityPruning intensity

• Canopy and Crop Management– Shoot Number

– Cluster Number

– Berry Number

– Leaf Removal

– Shoot Tipping 

– Shoot Positioning

Yield components

Leaf Area/Light Environ.Leaf Area/Light Environ.

19Diagram courtesy Terry Bates, Viticulture Research Associate

Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory, Portland, NY

Vine Capacity and Vigor

• Soil depth, texture

• Water Holding Capacity

• Organic matter/Fertility

Vigor = Rate of shoot growth

Vine Capacity = Sustainable cropping level

Crop Load= Ratio of exposed leaf area to crop

20

Vigor and Water Holding Capacity

• Soil Texture determines available water per unit of soil volume.

• Soil depth determines amount of water stored.0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

sand sandyloam

loam siltloam

clayloam

clay

Vol

umet

ric

soil

moi

stur

e (%

)

field

capa

city

permanent wilting percentage

available water

unavailable water

excess water

Dormant VineDormant Vine

Dry Weight Starch N P

41% 16% 25% 23%

59% 84% 75% 77%

Roots are the Dominant Storage Organ

Shoot Vigor

Shoot VigorShoot Vigor

Pruning Weight

Shoot DensityShoot Density

Canopy Management for High Cordon (or Umbrella)?

• Hedging/Leaf Removal (often not practical)

• Shoot positioning (yes ‐combing)

• Shoot thinning (yes)

• Cluster thinning (yes)

25

Foch - unthinned Foch - thinned

•How much does it cost?

•What are the benefits?

Shoot and cluster thinning for hybrids

Leon MillotVignolesTraminetteVidal blancNoiret

Grower Demo Blocks-Time- Crop

- Ripeness- WTP

26

Shoot thinning Costs

TIME15 sec/vine

6x9 spacing = 806 vines/acre202 min/acre = 3.35 hours/acre

X $12/hour = $40.20

CROPCabernet Franc @ $1500/T

0.5 T/acre removed$750 lower receipts

Need: $790.38/acre more in ‘quality’

Shoot thinning Costs

Other hand labor operationsPruning/brush pulling: 27HTying: 13HSuckering: 7 HCluster thin: 10 HSource: J. White ‘Cost of Establishment of V. vinifera in Finger Lakes 2010’

Other Canopy Mgt (VSP)Other Canopy Mgt (VSP)Shoot Positioning 2x = 12 HShoot Positioning 2x = 12 HLeaf removal = 4.5 HLeaf removal = 4.5 H

28

Late Shoot Thinning Grower Demos ‐Shoot Thinning

Fruit Quality

1818--42 42 sec/vinesec/vine

0.50.5--3.33.3T/acreT/acre

$450$450-- $1650$1650

0.50.5--1.31.3brixbrix

30

Leon Millot Shoot Thinning

31

Leon Millot Shoot ThinningThinned vs Unthinned 'Leon Millot' at Goldman Vineyards

Treatment Unthinned Thinned % reductionor increase

Shoots per vine 44.7 28.6 -37% Clusters per vine 105 56 -47% Crop wt per vine(lb) 5.10 3.63 -29% Tons per acre 4.0 2.8 -29% Cluster Weight (g) 22.9 30.0 +31% Berry weight (g) 0.78 0.91 +17% Berries per cluster 29.4 32.8 +11%

Shoot thinning Time: 18 second/vine968 vines per acre

Fruit Chemistry treatment Berry Weight (g) Brix pH TA

Thinned 0.914 22.6 3.26 15.1 Unthinned 0.779 21.1 3.28 15.3

32

Grower’s costs and returnsLeon Millot

Treatment Yield Crop valueUnthinned 4 3,200.00$ Thinned 2.8 2,240.00$ Difference 1.2 960.00$ Cost of thinning $53.24Total cost $1,013.24

At $800 per ton:

Cost of thinningVines per acre 968Seconds/vine 18Time thin hr 4.8Cost at $11/hour $53

To maintain net returns, Grower needs to be paid $1162/ton

To maintain net returns, Winery needs to add $0.50/bottle to price

33

Dollars (Unthinned)$20/bottle retail

1.1 T less fruit/acreX 63 cases/tonX 12 bottles= 831 bottles

= $16,620 lower gross receipts 

Thinned price =Thinned price =$27.50/bottle$27.50/bottle

(approx)(approx)34

Traminette Shoot ThinningTreatment Thinned Unthinned % changeShoots 36.85 51.2 -28%Clusters 45.8 63.3 -28%Cluster wt 155.9 129.2 21%Tons/acre 6.3 7.3 -13%

Grower’s costs and returnsAt $600 per ton:

Cost of thinningVines per acre 805Seconds/vine 17Time thin hr 3.8Cost at $11/hour 42$

Treatment Yield Value @$600Unthinned 7.3 4,351$ Thinned 6.3 3,804$ Difference 1 547$ Cost of thinning 42$

Loss 589$

To maintain net returns, Grower needs to be paid $691/ton

To maintain net returns, Winery needs to add $0.13/bottle to price35

Income and thinningCost per ton & Per Bottle

36

Shoot thinning, harvest date Marechal Foch 2007

Control Shoot-thinnedEarly harvest: Sept. 11Late harvest: Sept. 18

Justine Vanden Heuvel

Foch

CE = control, early harvest, CL = control, late harvestSTE = shoot thinned, early harvest, STL = shoot thinned, late harvest

a ab

b

Foch

aab

b

CE = control, early harvest, CL = control, late harvestSTE = shoot thinned, early harvest, STL = shoot thinned, late harvest

Foch

• Brix: 22.7 ‐ 24.3 (harvest date only)

• pH: 3.62 ‐ 3.70 (harvest date only)

• TA: 8.67 – 9.50 g/L (ST and harvest date)

Foch

b

aa

b

aa

bb

CE = control, early harvest, CL = control, late harvestSTE = shoot thinned, early harvest, STL = shoot thinned, late harvest

Harvest Date Shoot Thin

Ratio of compound peak to IS peak area

CE = control, early harvest, CL = control, late harvestSTE = shoot thinned, early harvest, STL = shoot thinned, late harvest

Foch

Harvest Date

Harvest Date + Shoot Thin

Harvest Date + Shoot Thin

sweat,cheese

sweet,clove,smoke,bandaid

fruit,banana,apple,rose

solvent,fruit,potato,chocolate

flower,apple

grass,green

ST and harvest date impact Foch aroma compoundsST and harvest date impact Foch aroma compoundsShoot thin – Early Harvest

No Shoot‐thinLate Harvest

FochTriangle Tests

Foch Triangle Tests

• Shoot thinned late harvest preferred over Control late harvest 

• Shoot thinned late harvest preferred over Shoot thinned early harvest

Control (2007)

ST (2007) Control (2008)

ST (2008)

Yield (t/a) 4.1 3.3 7.0 5.3

Rev. per acre $2,460 ‐ $4,662 ‐

Add. prod. costs/acre

$0 $54 $0 $54

Add. prod. costs/ton

$0 $16.36 $0 $10.18

Req. price/ton

$600 $761 $666 $890

Add’l Cost/Btl(can make 60cs/ton)

$0 $0.22 $0 0.31

Maintaining revenue per acre in Foch vineyard:

Low crop Low crop treatment treatment (1CPS)(1CPS)

Control: 2.5+ clusters/shootHigh: 2.0 clusters/shootMedium: 1.5 clusters/shootLow: 1.0 clusters/shoot

Cluster Thinning Affects Fruit Composition and Economic

Sustainability of Riesling(Questioning Yield/Quality Folklore with Science)

Trent Preszler & Justine VandenHeuvel

Riesling Cluster Thinning

47

Clusters/shoot

Control(2.5+)

High(2.0)

Medium(1.5)

Low(1.0)

Cost/acre $2,400 $2,563 $2,580 $2,595

Yield (T/A) 5.5 4.4 3.3 2.3

Price/ton $1,750 $2,223 $2,964 $4,275

Net revenue/acre

$7,225 $7,225(constant welfare)

$7,225 $7,225

Add’l$/bottle(60cs/ton)

$0.66 $1.69 $3.51

Table 2. Economic break-even analysis of cluster thinning in Riesling, 2008.

$7225 $5137 $3195 $1430

48

Benefits:Cluster and Shoot thin Flavors

J. Vanden Heuvel Sensory Evaluations

• Marechal Foch:– ST wine significantly different 

than control in 2007 by 24‐member sensory panel

• Riesling Cluster Thinning– Sommeliers:  Wines different, 

preference varied.• Leon Millot (shoot thin)

(side by side, informal):– Shoot thin + No ST ‘different’– 60% preferred ST, 40% preferred   

No ST

How does this relate to $$$??How does this relate to $$$??49

Measureable Benefits shoot and cluster thinning

GROWER:1.I can meet buyer (winery) specs and sell my crop  (Y/N)2.I can better control diseases 3.Easier to harvest fruit4.Charge more for grapes (grower)QUALITY :1.Higher brix (= better quality?)2.Better color, structure, tannins? 3.Reduce variability in fruit  4.Flavors better (varietal character, etc.)

1) charge more2) Sell more3) Market better4) Repeat sales

Winery:  I can:

50

VSP – Shoot thin VSP – No shoot thin

TWC – shoot thin TWC – no shoot thin

Vignoles – VSP vs Top Wire Cordon VSP ‐ thinned

TWC ‐ unthinned

VSP unthinned

VSP thinned

TWC unthinned

TWC thinned

Training system and Fruit Rots

Top Wire Cordon

VSP

Spray Coverage  & Cluster Exposure

• Air movement

• Drying

• Better Spray Coverage

54

Annual Growing Costs/AcreAnnual Growing Costs/Acre34%

Source: Gerald White ‘Cost of Establishment of V. vinifera in Finger Lakes 2010’

Annual Growing Costs:$2,210

V. Vinifera AnnualGrowing Costs

Labor $1,362 62%Equipment $419 19%Materials $429 19%Total $2,210 100%

Year 4‐25 Growing Costs

$568

10 $116 $116

$472

Training System and Canopy Management Costs

Cost of Establishment of V. vinifera in the Finger Lakes

Activity Cost/acre  H/acre Rate Time/vine VSPTop Wire 

Cordon Umbrella

Pruning & Brush 

Pulling $        323  27 (.40/vine) 2:00 min x x x

Tying  $        162  13 (.20/vine) 1:00 min x x

Suckering $          84  7 $12/h 0:50 min x x x

Cluster/Shoot thin $        129  10 $12/h 1:15 min x

Shoot positioning #1 $          72  6 12/h 0:45 min x

Shoot positioning #2 $          72  6 12/h 0:45 min x

Total $        842  69 5:55 min $    842  $ 407  $ 569 

(69h) (34 h) (57 h)

58

Tons 500$ 600$ 700$ 800$ 900$ 1,000$ 1,200$ 2.0 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 24002.5 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500 30003.0 1500 1800 2100 2400 2700 3000 36003.5 1750 2100 2450 2800 3150 3500 42004.0 2000 2400 2800 3200 3600 4000 48004.5 2250 2700 3150 3600 4050 4500 54005.0 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 60005.5 2750 3300 3850 4400 4950 5500 66006.0 3000 3600 4200 4800 5400 6000 72006.5 3250 3900 4550 5200 5850 6500 78007.0 3500 4200 4900 5600 6300 7000 8400

Gross Receipts at different prices/ton

Yield and Gross ReceiptsVertical Shoot Positioning

Annual Growing Costs = $2200Fixed Costs = $1400/ Acre

Total Costs = $3600/ Acre

Yield and Gross ReceiptsTop Wire Cordon

Annual Growing Costs = $1750Fixed Costs = $1400/ Acre

Total Costs = $3150/ Acre

Tons 500$ 600$ 700$ 800$ 900$ 1,000$ 1,200$ 2.0 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 24002.5 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500 30003.0 1500 1800 2100 2400 2700 3000 36003.5 1750 2100 2450 2800 3150 3500 42004.0 2000 2400 2800 3200 3600 4000 48004.5 2250 2700 3150 3600 4050 4500 54005.0 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 60005.5 2750 3300 3850 4400 4950 5500 66006.0 3000 3600 4200 4800 5400 6000 72006.5 3250 3900 4550 5200 5850 6500 78007.0 3500 4200 4900 5600 6300 7000 8400

Gross Receipts at different prices/ton

Watertown Vineyard Plots

• Training Systems

– VSP

– Top Wire Cordon

– Umbrella Kniffen

• Crop Level

– Frontenac (Cluster Thin)

– La Crescent (Nature)

Top Wire Cordon

Vertical ShootPositioning

UmbrellaKniffen

Frontenac

bab

a

Yield (Tons/Acre)(p = 0.0254)

• Yield components?– HWC > UK > VSP

Cluster  Number (p = 0.10)

Berries/Cluster (p = 0.051)

Marquette

Yield (Tons/Acre)(p = 0.0278)

ab

a

b

Yield components:•Cluster number (p = 0.06)• cluster weight (p = 0.05)•number of berries/cluster (p = 0.08)• number of clusters/node (p = 0.08)

Training System, Canopy Management and QualityTraining System, Canopy Management and Quality

•Consider Costs and Benefits• Shoot and cluster thinning reduce crop 

increase labor requirements

• Fruit chemistry effects: often modest

• Sensory quality and $: Hard to quantify

•Tonnage sometimes ‘trumps’ ‘quality gain’

•Other practices may have equivalent impact• Harvest date, winemaking practices

The Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850 63

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements•Colleagues:  Justine Vanden Heuvel, Trent Prezsler, Wayne Wilcox, Anna Katharine Mansfield

•Technical support:  Chrislyn Particka and Bill Wilsey

•Organizers:  Evelyne Barriault

•Funding: USDA, NY Farm Viability InstituteThe Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850

64