A Technical Guide
for Wine Producers

RECENT ARTICLES   |   WYNBOER HOME


WYNBOER GUIDELINES
FOR MAY 2003

1 PLANNING

  • Short term
    • Engage experts to do or revise your overhead farm planning.
    • Confirm the cost of vineyard establishment so that the budget is not exceeded.
    • Fix trellis systems, implements and tools.
  • Long term
    • The publication “Guide for establishing a vineyard” which contains the latest technical and financial information on this topic may be ordered from VinPro (SA) Consultation Service.
    • With the aid of soil analyses draw up an establishment guide for future plantings in conjunction with your viticultural consultant and cellar manager so that vine orders may be placed in good time.
    • Identify vineyard blocks with problems and decide on the replacement thereof in conjunction with your viticultural consultant.
  • Financial
  • Contact VinPro (SA) agricultural economists for information about:
    • Purchase of additional land or farm evaluation
    • Feasibility studies and breakeven analyses
    • Establishment planning and cost
    • Budgets and cash flow statements
    Compare the budgeted expenditure with the actual expenditure on a monthly basis and make adjustments if required.

    2 VINEYARD PROGRAMME

    Complete the post-harvest programme by following the March guidelines.

  • Soil preparation
    • For soil preparation soil moisture conditions have to be optimal (neither too wet nor too dry) and a suitable implement must be used once soil analyses have been done by an expert. The efficiency of the soil prepation actions must be controlled afterwards by means of profile pits.
  • Plague control
    • Control snails by putting out bait (snail pellets) just after the first autumn rains to limit snail populations since their eggs are laid in rainy weather conditions. Bait should preferably be strewn late afternoon and be replaced regularly every 2 – 3 weeks and more often after rain.
    • To control nematodes a soil sample (± 30 cm deep) must be taken for nematode analysis as well as root symptoms and distribution. In established vineyards chemical control according to IPW guidelines should only be applied if nematodes have been identified as the cause of poor growth. In new plantings the use of nematode resistant rootstocks is recommended as the most efficient long term control measure. Chemical control using fumigants is another option before establishment on old vineyard soil that is being replanted, or on new soil with a high nematode population, provided expert advice is obtained and in terms of IPW guidelines.
  • Winter pruning
    • Pruning, which is one of the most important crop and quality control practices in vines, should not commence before at least 80 % of the leaves have fallen and sufficient winter cold has occurred.
    • Use skilled labourers, especially with regard to spur-pruning, so that the most important aspects such as shaping of the vine and correct number of buds receive the necessary attention. Study the video entitled “Wintersnoei” which may be obtained from VinPro (SA) Consultation Service.
    • The development of young vines on vertical trellis systems is treated in full in the VinPro (SA) Consultation Service publication “Guide for establishing a vineyard” while “Wingerdbou in Suid-Afrika”, pp. 202 – 233, covers the winter pruning of adult vines. A number of practical tips will therefore suffice:
    1. To distribute labour, pre-pruning may be done by trimming the shoots of trained vines 30 – 40 cm from the base (“borselkopsnoei”).
    2. Clean pruning also promotes labour distribution by removing all the shoots except the bearers. These bearers are then spur-pruned later in the season to 1 – 2 buds.
    3. Pre- and clean pruning should preferably only be applied to vigorous vines and early cultivars.
    4. Delayed budding is where fertile buds do not bud at all or bud very late with subsequent loss of crop and / or poor quality grapes. This is ascribed mainly to high minimum temperatures in May / June. Cultivars that are sensitive to delayed budding should be spur-pruned in one action, without any pre-pruning, as late as possible.
  • General
    • Grafting material of scion cultivars should be collected and cold stored for aerial grafting in November.
    • Soil conservation should be managed by making drainage ducts, and by cleaning and repairing trenches.
    • Drainage systems must be installed on wet soils that are to be planted.
    • Anchors and poles of trellis systems may be planted in young vines and missing wires strung on unfinished trellis systems.
    • Quick grass control is still required before pruning. Apply systemic herbicides, taking care not to spray green leaves and shoots.

    Compiled by: VinPro (SA) Consultation Services

    		• Wynboer is incorporated in WineLand, magazine of the SA wine producers.

    Subscribe to WineLand

    Visit our sister sites:


    South African wine farmers' representative organisation


    Facts, figures, contact details and much more in the 2009/10 Directory

    UP COPYRIGHT (C) 2000 WineLand