Abstract:
Land is prepared to get fine tilth before planting of grapes. Before
establishing vineyard, the bushes in the fields are cleared,
perennial weeds are killed and the ploughing operations are made.
Ploughing operations are mainly two types such as primary tillage
and secondary tillage.
Country plough, disc plough and mould board plough are
generally used for deep ploughing (primary tillage) operations
and country plough, cultivator, harrows, plank, roller etc.
After completion of tillage operations, the land is prepared according
to the requirement. Trenches of about 75 cm width, 75 cm deep and
length according to the field slope in a north-south direction with an
inter-space of about 3 m between trenches are dug. Required manures
and fertilizers are applied and planting of grapes is done.
Learning objectives:
To learn the various implements used for primary and secondary
tillages for vineyard establishment.
To study the land modifications required before planting of grapes.
Introduction:
Grape (Vitis vinifera) is a deciduous crop. Its natural habitat is
temperate climate. Hot and dry climate is ideal.
Grapes are grown on a variety of soils. Soil with good drainage
and water-holding capacity with a pH range of 6.5–7.5 is ideally-
suited for grapes.
Ploughing or tillage is mechanical manipulation of soil using
different implements, the most important field operation carried
out before grapes planting.
Grapes is having deep root system and planting is generally
practiced with trenches, deep ploughing is mandatory.
There are several machineries or ploughs put in use to prepare the
land deep and pulverized manner.
Initially, wooden tools and ploughs are used and due to
mechanization, many modern tillage implements are being used
for ploughing the soil deep (primary tillage), pulverization
(secondary tillage) and further field preparations such as layout
and trench formation (land modification).
Tillage for grapes
Tillage is the first and the most important operation in vineyards.
Tillage operations are generally carried out before planting of grape
vines.
Tillage operations are generally of two stages, viz. primary and
secondary tillages.
Primary tillage
Primary tillage or ploughing is opening of the compacted soil with the
help of different tools and implements preferably used for this
purpose is ploughs.
In addition, primary tillage also aims to inversion (whenever
necessary) of soil, uprooting of weeds and stubbles
Deep ploughing results large sized clods, when these exposed to
sun and cooling due to summer rains, clods get crumbled and
process of gradual disintegration of clods improves soil structure.
The rhizomes and tubers of perennial weeds viz., Cynodon
dactylon and Cyperus rotundus are killed due to exposure to hot
sun. Summer ploughing reduces pest incidences by exposing
pupae to hot sun.
Deep tillage also improves soil moisture content by retaining
more moisture in ploughed furrows during rainy period.
In vineyard, in olden days, country plough was the most widely
used tillage implement in the developing countries.
However, due to the scientific advancement and mechanization,
many modern tillage implements have replaced the country
plough.
Deep ploughing is generally made in vineyards using cultivator (5
tyne), disc plough and mould board plough.
Better ploughing and soil inversion is necessary for vineyard
establishment and hence, either disc or mould board ploughs
usage have an edge over cultivators.
Hard pans may exist in the soil, may be any kind like, silt pans,
iron or aluminum pans, clay pans or man-made pans, will hinder
the root growth of grapes.
Sub-soiling is breaking the hard pan without inversion and with
less disturbance of top soil. A narrow cut is made in the top soil,
while share of the sub-soiler shatters hard pans.
Chisel ploughs are generally used to break hard pans present
beyond 50cm deep before vineyard establishment
Harrows are used for shallow cultivation in operations such as
pulverization of soil by breaking clods, destroying weeds etc.
Harrows are of two types: disc harrow and blade harrow. The
discs cut through the soil and effectively pulverize the clods
through concave discs of 45 to 55 cm in diameter. Blade harrows
are used for different purposes like removal of weeds and
stubbles, crushing of clods, working of soil to shallow depth.
Plank is a very simple implement and consists of a heavy wooden
beam of 2 m in length. Clods are crushed and micro-leveling is
also made.
Land modification in grapes
After primary and secondary tillage operations, the field is laid
into plots according to the slope, water availability, soil type and
other management practices.
Land within a plot is leveled perfectly to have a gradient of <1.0%
in any direction.
This ensures better establishment of cuttings of grapes besides
uniform discharge of water through the emitters of drip irrigation
systems is used for leveling the land perfectly.
Grapes is mainly planted with trench method.
Trenches of about 75 cm width, 75 cm depth and with convenient
length in a north-south direction are made.
The distance between trench is varying according to the variety.
The trenches are earlier made using man power but, now
machines are put in use to take-up trenches.
Trenches are closed with topsoil, up to a height of 45 cm after 15
days exposure to sun.
The remaining gap is filled with a mixture of soil, manure and
recommended fertilizers.
Pit also can be made to plant the cuttings of grapes. About 75cm
deep and 1m wide pits are opened. Pit is filled as like in trenches
and planting is followed.
Of late, a closer planting of 2.5 x 1.0 m as against the
recommended spacing of 3.0 x 2.0 m combined with fertigation is
practiced.
Staggered trenches are dug-out across the slope in full length or
width of the field.
Trenches of 75 cm width, 75 cm depth and length according to the
field stretch in a north-south direction with an inter-space of 3 m
between trenches are dug.
The trenches are filled with top soil up to a height of 30 cm and
are then exposed to sun for about 30 days.
Then the remaining portion is filled with a mixture of green
manures, Calotropis leaves, tank silt and farm yard manure.
Summary:
Deep ploughing is mandatory in Grapes, since it is having deep
root system.
In vineyard, in olden days, country plough was the most widely
used tillage implement in the developing countries.
Different types of levelers are put in to use in leveling before
vineyard establishment.
Summary:
Better ploughing and soil inversion is necessary for vineyard
establishment and hence, either disc or mould board ploughs
usage is necessary.
Chisel ploughs are used to break hard pans present beyond 50cm
deep before vineyard establishment.
Disc harrows, cultivators, blade harrows, country plough etc., are
used for secondary tillage in vineyard establishment
Summary:
Grapes is mainly planted with trench method. Trenches of about
75 cm width, 75 cm depth and with convenient length in a north-
south direction are made.
Pit also can be made to plant the cuttings of grapes. About 75cm
deep and 1m wide pits are opened.
Of late, a closer planting of 2.5 x 1.0 m as against the
recommended spacing of 3.0 x 2.0 m combined with fertigation is
practiced.
1.Deep ploughing is mandatory in land preparation of grapes
(True/False).
2.Disc or mould board ploughs are main primary tillage implements
used in grapes (True/False).
3.Country ploughs are used to break hard pans before vineyard
establishment (True/False).
4.Disc harrows, cultivators, blade harrows, country plough are used
for secondary tillage in vineyard establishment (True/False).
5.Grapes is mainly planted with pit method (True/False).
6.Recently, a closer planting is practiced in grapes with fertigation as
against the recommended spacing (True/False).
References:
Singh, S.P. 2000. Commercial fruits. Kalyani Publishers,
Ludhiana.
Kumar, N. 2000. Introduction to Horticulture. Rajalakshmi
Publications, Nagarcoil, Tamil Nadu.
Yellamanda Reddy, T. and G.H. Sankara Reddi. 2010. Principles
of Agronomy. Kalyani Publisher, Ludhiana.