A NEW GRAPE SHAPING METHOD IN THE SOIL-BURY OVER-WINTERING ZONE OF ARID AND SEMIARID AREAS

Abstract

There are many shaping methods in the soil-burying over-wintering zone of arid and semiarid areas. However, these pruning techniques are very complicated for mechanized operations and it’s difficult for soil-burying and water saving irrigation. This article proposed a new shaping method which suits for soil-burying zone of arid and semiarid areas. The main features of the 3 shaping methods [Multiple main vine fan-training (MVF), Cordon-training (CT) and Crawled Cordon Training (CCT)] were comparatively analyzed, and 3 methods’-main labour items and their elapsed time in winter pruning were figured out. The stable yielding ability, grape quality and disease occurrence for these three methods were studied from year 2005 to year 2009. CCT shaping method avoided the unmounting in winter and mounting in spring, as a result it was found easy for mechanized operations. Compared to MVF and CT, single worker’s labour time per 667.7 m2 from winter pruning to spring unearthing in CCT was decreased 37.50% and 27.08%, respectively. The contents of soluble solid,reducing sugar and titratable acid in grape of the three different shaping methods had no significant difference. The stable yielding ability in CCT was significantly higher than the other two methods. The clusters’ infection rate of grape anthracnose, white rot and botrytis cinerea were high but the berries’ infection rate was much lower. CCT shaping method promote a model of durable viticulture, with the objectives of high quality, stable yield, long-lived and artistic vine production in soil-burying over-wintering zone of arid and semiarid areas.