Considerations for Growing and Marketing Wine Grapes in Tennessee Grape Growing 101 Understanding Wine Grapes David W. Lockwood Plant Sciences University of Tennessee Grapes - • Said to be the oldest cultivated fruit – Found in Egyptian tombs & tombs of pre-Christ era • Grape of antiquity mentioned in the Bible • Originated in the regions between and south of the Caspian and Black seas in Asia Minor • Cab Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Vitis vinifera • Merlot Zinfandel • Chardonnay Sauvignon blanc Trebbiano Sangiovese Vinifera Varieties • Most require long, warm-to-hot summers • Cool winters (often injured at temperatures below -8°F) • Spring frosts can kill most of the fruitful shoots and reduce the crop • Rain, cold, cloudy weather during bloom results in poor berry set Rains early – disease, at harvest – fruit rot American Bunch Grapes • Cynthiana • Catawba (aka Norton) • Steuben • Niagara Native American species Cold hardy Disease resistant Fruits have lower sugars, higher acids and berries are slip-skin About 30 species have been identified V. labrusca, V. aestivalis, V. riparia, V.berlandieri • Seyval Vidal blanc French American Hybrids • Chardonel • Traminette • Chambourcin Muscadines (Vitis rotundifolia Miche) • Native to the Southeast • Have been cultivated for > 400 years • Muscadine grapes Jumbo • Scuppernong Supreme • Carlos Types of Grapes for Wine Production in Tennessee • Muscadines: easiest to grow, limitation is potential for cold injury, best candidate for organic production IF cold injury is not a limitation • Americans: most consistently productive throughout all parts of the state, highest yield potential for bunch grapes • French-American hybrids: adaptable to most parts of the state, intermediate yield levels • Vitis vinifera: perhaps most desired of all bunch grapes (may receive a premium price for the fruit, most difficult to grow (cold, disease susceptibility, site specific), lowest yield potential Vineyard Timeline • -1 years: Site selection & development (preplant) • 1st year: Planting, training, trellising • 2nd & 3rd year: Pruning, training • 4th year: 1st commercial crop • 5th year: Full Production • Expected life of vineyard: ? (20+ years) Average Grape Yields from Mature Vineyards • American bunch - 5 to 7 tons/acre • French-American Hybrids – 3 to 5 tons / acre • Vitis vinifera - 1 ½ to 2 tons / acre • Muscadines - 7 to 8 tons / acre A Vineyard Is NOT Forever • Change in customer demands • Introduction of superior varieties • Emergence of new pest problems • Weather-related issues • Deficiencies in the cultural program Parts of a Vine Ungrafted (own roots) vs. Grafted Grapevines? Type of Grape Muscadine ungrafted American ungrafted French-American Hybrid Most older varieties can be ungrafted, Consider grafted vines for Chardonel, Traminette V. vinifera All should be grafted Grape Root Phylloxera Compound Bud of Grape 4 = lateral shoot 3 = tertiary bud 5 = leaf scar 1 = primary bud 2 = secondary bud Grapevine Growth Cycle Stages of growth & fruiting of a vinifera grapevine in an average year Vineyard Site Selection David W. Lockwood Univ. of TN/Univ. of GA 7/30/2011 Orchard Site Score Sheet • Accessibility • Full sun • Elevation • Slope – aspect and steepness • Soil Characteristics – drainage (internal & surface), potential rooting depth, fertility • Water – quantity & quality • Wildlife • Adjacent agricultural operations Elevation (Relative) (also fog) For every 100’ increase in elev., expect 5 to 10°F increase in temp. during a radiation frost event Site Selection • Direction of slope – • North to northeast – less potential for winter injury, frost damage • Steepness of slope – erosion, irrigation design, safe operation of equipment • Soils • Water • Wildlife Direction of Slope North facing South facing • Reduced potential for winter injury • Soils tend to be: (less severe temperature fluctuations – Warmer in winter) – Thinner – Lower in organic matter content – More drought prone • Crops: • Reduced potential for spring frost – Break bud earlier damage (plants become active later) – Ripen their fruit earlier Slope • Mild (2 to 5%) – increases air & water drainage –Flat fields may pose supplemental water drainage problems • As slope increases, the erosion potential increases • Slopes > 15% present a hazard in operating equipment • Undulating slopes: –Difficulties in constructing & maintaining trellises & irrigation systems –Vast differences in soils: • Depth, drainage, fertility Row Orientation – Sloping Land Across the slope Up & down the slope • Vineyard floor mgmt. • Vegetation under vines to – Bare strip under vines & lessen erosion mowed row middles • Superior air drainage • Irrigation systems easier • Heavier, more powerful to design & operate tractors needed to • More precision in handle the hills pesticide applications – (4-wheel drive) • >15% slope, sliding into rows • >25% slope, roll-over threat Chateauneuf-du-Pape Wildlife Damage to Selected Fruit Crops - 1998 Crop Damage in Value of $’s spent in wildlife Dollars Production damage control Apples 13.5 million 1 percent 4 million Blueberry 4.4 million 4 percent 443,000 Grape 23.1 million 1 percent 5.4 million Total 41 million ~9.9 million Exclusion (Netting) Site Preparation • Soil testing • Elimination of noxious weeds • Remove barriers to good air drainage • Address poor water drainage areas (if applicable) • Remove wild/abandoned vines near the orchard site • Establish desired vineyard floor cover Taking Soil Samples • Sample at 2 depths – Upper 8 inches – 8 to 16 inches • pH • P • K • Ca • Mg • Organic Matter Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Availability Applying Lime & Phosphorus to Soils Rate for upper 8” + = Amt. to apply Rate for 8 – 16” depth Disk or rototill (mixes lime with soil in upper 4 – 6”) Plow to put amended soil at the bottom of the furrow (for high lime rates, apply ~ 2/3 of total & incorporate, apply remaining amount & disk into topsoil) More Site Development Considerations: • Shading results in spindly growth, reduced fruiting and fruit quality, increased disease pressure (especially morning shade) • Air drainage – grown up ditchbanks, fencerows, etc. can restrict air drainage out of planting site • Water drainage – consider diversions, ditching or tile drainage to eliminate wet areas – Consider planting on a raised bed in marginal sites Field Layout • North/south row orientation is most desirable if the field permits – Plant across slopes, regardless of orientation, to reduce soil erosion • The suggested floor management plan consists of a bare strip of soil down the row a minimum of 4 feet or more in width plus a sodded strip between rows for equipment support and to serve as a deceleration and diffusion strip for run-off water. • Straight rows make trellis construction and maintenance easier. – Make the maximum length of the trellis about 300 ft. for ease of access and to allow for better air drainage Ordering Plants • Order early to increase chances of getting the varieties, plant size and plant quality that you desire – Consider delaying planting and advance ordering if desired plants are not available • Don’t cut corners on plant quality – Virus-indexed – Tissue culture Grapevine Viruses Leafroll Red Blotch K Def. or Leafroll? – Reddish-purple interveinal discoloration starting @ the leaf margin, BUT with green coloration bordering the veins, symptoms develop 1st on mid- shoot leaves K def. Leafroll Grapes American bunch Hybrids V. vinifera Muscadines Own-rooted or Own-rooted Mostly own-rooted, Grafted Own-rooted grafted vines some grafted Vine spacing 8’ X 12’ = 8’ X 12’ = 6’ X 12’ = 16’ X 12’ = 454 vines/acre 454 vines/acre 605 vines/acre 227 vines/acre Time from planting 3 to 4 3 to 4 3 to 4 3 to 5 to 1st crop (years) Time to full crop 5 5 5 6 to 7 (years) Anticipated annual 25 to 30 lbs/vine 15 to 20 lbs/vine 8 to 10 lbs/vine 60 to 70 lbs/vine yield (5½ to 7 tons/acre) (3½ to 5 tons/acre) (2½ to 3 tons/acre) (7 to 8 tons/acre) Anticipated 20 to 25 years 20 to 25 years 15 to 20 years 25 to 30+ years productive life Functions of the Trellis The trellis is a long-term investment. It should be built to last the life of the vineyard • Support the vine and the crop • Expose fruit and foliage to sunlight • Open canopy to air movement and spray penetration • Facilitate ease of vineyard operations – Pruning, thinning, pest control, harvest Grapes may be grown on the ground - • Lack of trellis materials • Cold (vines covered with soil in winter) • Tradition Trellises • Most expensive part of vineyard establishment • Trellis should be designed to last the life of a vineyard • Wood, metal or a combination for posts • Wire tensioning is done from end posts – End posts should be larger (at least 4 in. top diam.) • 10 ft. posts with 3 ft. in the ground • Anchors to reinforce end posts – Line posts used to position wires at desired heights 3 in. top diam.) • 8 ft. posts with 2 ft. in the ground • Wire: 12½ gauge high tensile for the load-bearing wire Factors influencing training system & trellis design to be used in the vineyard • Type of grape (Amer. Bunch, Fr. Amer. Hybrid, V. vinifera, muscadine) • Vine spacing (inrow & between row) • Row orientation • Soil fertility • Management capabilities • Available labor (both the amount & capabilities) • Establishment costs • Equipment requirement • Mechanization? Two-Dimensional Trellises VSP High wire bilateral cordon Umbrella Kniffin Hudson River Umbrella 4 Cane Kniffin Scott Henry Smart Henry Smart Dyson From Galleta & Himelrick, Grape Training Systems Small Fruit Crop