Increasing grape berry size
While smaller grapes may produce a more intensely flavoured, quality wine, the grower needs to balance this with the need for a high yield from well-sized berries on his vines.
The producer must therefore seek an acceptable compromise between high wine grape yield and high quality that meets his aspirations and those of his chosen winery.
A balanced fertiliser programme is also important to increase grape berry size.
Crop nutrition and grape berry size
Nitrogen
Nitrogen and to a lesser extent potassium have a direct effect on increasing wine grape berry size. In this trail there was a correlation with grape bunch weight in two out of three years of this trials.
Phosphorus
Where phosphorus is naturally low in soils, applied fertilizer phosphate increases wine grape berry set and crop yield.
Other Crop Management Practices Influencing Wine Grape Berry Size
- Minimal pruning or growth manipulation will result in smaller, but better quality wine grapes. However, it may also delay maturity and compromise other quality characteristics. Plant growth regulation can improve wine grape fruit set, increasing yields in vines, creating bunches with smaller berries.
- Inducing moisture stress between fruit set and veraison can reduce berry size by 20-30%. Increasing water availability at maturity will boost sugars by increasing grape pulp, but at the same time this reduces the amount of skin and phenolic compounds in the must.
Recommended Yara fertilisers for grapevines
Related articles
Influencing grapevine yield
High grapevine yields are obtained on the most freely drained soils where water is not limiting. Vines will grow across a wide range of soil pHs, but extremes will render many nutrients unavailable and thereby restrict yield.
Managing grape sweetness
The amount of sugar in the grape influences potential alcohol content after fermentation, and the amount of residual sugar remaining in the wine.
Increasing grape berry size
While smaller grapes may produce a more intensely flavoured, quality wine, the grower needs to balance this with the need for a high yield from well-sized berries on his vines.
Influencing grape health
Grapes need to be free of the different disorders and rots in order to meet market requirements. The extent of these varies according to environmental conditions, varietal susceptibility and crop nutrition.
Minimising bunch stem necrosis in wine grapes
Bunch stem necrosis (water berry) in grapes affects fruit set and fruit ripening. It can occur around the bloom, in which case it is called early bunch stem necrosis, at veraison or later. The occurrence of it is associated with weather conditions and...
Nutrient deficiencies-Wine Grape
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