the auxin go? During early summer, the vine’s


response will be similar to lowering the canes in the midst of rapid growth. Lateral canes will be induced to grow in order to reestablish apical release of auxin. Later in the summer, when veraison is approaching, there will be little or response, except that photosynthesis will be handicapped by the removal of leaf area.


In many years, when days shorten and the daytime temperature declines, it’s an advantage to maintain as much leaf area and photosynthesis as possible so long as the canopy is open enough to not create shading over fruit and interior leaf surfaces.


The bottom line of this discussion is that canopy design and manipulation can be the best tool you have to channel the vine’s energy into establishment of a strong (but not too dense) canopy in early summer. After the establishment of a strong canopy, the objective changes to divert the energy of photosynthesis away from cane elongation and into cane lignification and fruit ripening. Can you do this with your existing canopy or will you have to move some wires around?


Proud Distributors of Rack & Maintenance Source All Rack & Maintenance Source racks are made to handle Burgundy, Bordeaux and American Barrel shapes. All standard order racks have four crossbars to maximize strength and safety. The one exception to this is our two barrel half-rack or bottom rack.


GERARD’S EQUIPMENT LTD. 33684 Highway 97 South, Oliver, BC


(250) 498-2524 or (250) 498-6231 • Fax (250) 498-3288


Management strategy to attain


balanced growth in a vineyard shifts throughout the season, but however it is achieved, the objective is to optimize fruit quantity and quality without the


wasted energy of excessive cane growth. It eventually boils down to economic sustainability.


— Gary Strachan can be reached at gestrachan@alum.mit.edu .


For top-quality vineyard equipment Leaf Remover


Rotary Blade Vine Trimmer


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Piggy-back Sprayer


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Suckering Machine


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Munckhof Manufacturing Box 308,


Oliver, British Columbia V0H 1T0 Tel: 250.498.4426 Fax: 250.498.4460


 


24 British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2011


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