Cane Pruning Vs Spur Pruning Part 2

Cane pruning vs Spur pruning. Part 2

Following on from our last article (click here if you missed our last article) we have got a lot of requests from growers wanting to know more.

So we have put together another 5 compelling reasons to Cane prune vs Spur prune.

6. No Cordon “re-working” Costs:

We have talked with hundreds of growers who have had the hard decision and the job to cut out and remove their old unproductive cordons. There are many ways of doing this, but the most common seems to be, cut the old cordons and the wires, then drag it all out to a central area and burn it. The costs, we have been told, are up to $5/vine to get this done. Then you have to lose a full year of production and hope you get a new shoot to lay down for the next year’s crop. I think you will agree there is nothing economically or environmentally sustainable about doing this.

7. Eutypa dieback management

The less old wood and pruning wounds in your vineyard means less places for Eutypa inoculum to survive. Less active Eutypa inoculum in your vineyard has to be a good thing when managing this horrible disease.

8.Less places for Mealy Bug and Powdery Mildew to over winter:

Mealy bug (which spreads Leaf Roll Virus) and Powdery Mildew (overwintering fruiting bodies). Can live in the bark of an established cordon in your vineyard. Put simply less old cordons = less Mealy Bug and Powdery Mildew overwintering in your vineyard..

9. Improved airflow and spray penetration.

Cane pruning provides you with less shoots in the same growing space. This means less congestion and better light and airflow along with improved spray penetration. In the fight against Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew and Botrytis this is a major benefit.

10. Improved cluster architecture

Typically you will see an improvement in the cluster architecture (larger but looser bunches) with cane pruning:

- Loose bunches = reduced risk of bunch rots incidence and severity at harvest.

- Tight bunches = berries get squeezed and they can rupture and or “push off”.

When you have loose bunches you lower the bunch rot susceptibility of your vineyard.

Want to know more about Cane pruning and how KLIMA can help you achieve more with less on your vineyard?

Give us a call or drop us a line.

KLIMA is suited to arch cane pruning
Grahame Whyte. January 03, 2014
WITH HARVESTING COMPLETED, the Brown Bros crew in the northeast of Victoria is preparing for a busy pruning season that begins this month. To assist with this huge task, a KLIMA machine was purchased two seasons ago. Banksdale vineyard manager, Mark Pell said he had been trying for a number of years to work out how to cut costs with cane pruning.

Read more

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