When it comes to pruning of the vine is the set of operations that serve to regulate the development of the foliage of the vine and balance the leaf surface with the number of clusters. It is, therefore, a series of processes that allows you to remove the branches that are not suited to the production, to adjust the number of bunches per plant, and to improve their exposure to the sun, and not only. They aim to foster the maturation of the grapes and the development of the buds and the branches in the following years.

In this article we explain when to perform the pruning of the vine, and because these operations are so important to the well-being of the vineyard.

When carrying out the operations of pruning of the vine

, This pruning of the vines will run during the period, “green”, and then between germination and harvest. But what it includes, and when it would be better to do it?

• Effects: is to delete the shoots − the new shoots that have developed from buds latent or older portions of intersection on the older wood of the trunk − in order to avoid that make the hair thicker without doing any benefit in terms of production. You run between April and June.
• Scacchiatura: is to delete the cacchi, or the branches originating from the gems of controcchio, when they are still green and tender. It makes a few weeks after the shooting, to encourage the passage of the lymph towards the main bud in order to improve the growth.
• Sfemminellatura: is to delete the little woman − shoots that develop from buds ready allthe axil of the leaves − which are usually less productive or even sterile. If left on the vine, the little woman might prevent the proper penetration of plant protection products and to help create a microclimate that is harmful to the screw.
• Defoliation: consists in removing the leaves in excess in order to improve the aeration and the exposure of the grapes to the sun. You run before the harvest, when the foliage is too dense, may prevent the grapes to reach the right degree of sugar. Here you can find more information about defogliatrice vineyard that best suits your needs.
• Topping: consists in removing the branches are too high. Should be done by the end of June − when you reached a height of 90 to 110 cm of surface area exposed per kg of grapes produced to encourage the formation of new leaves, the most active in the period of ripening of the grapes and to limit the incidence of gray mold.
• Binding: typically affects the permanent bodies of the vine, and as a strain, cords, and branches, which were in need of ligatures to be fixed to the support structure. In the forms of cultivation, such as the Guyot and spurred cordon it is important to perform this operation several times during the season because, if in the vineyard in the practice of mechanical harvesting, the cord must remain firmly anchored, even after the shocks caused bodies shakers.
• Thinning: sometimes the quantity is the enemy of quality, and to obtain excellent wines you have to concentrate all the forces of the screw on the best fruits, eliminating excess bunches in the period between fruit set and veraison.

Because the pruning is so important?

All of these actions, if performed in the right time and in the correct order, ensures a proper management of the green. But why is it so important?

1. A good layout of the canopy facilitates the distribution of pesticides and prevents formation of micro-climates that are too damp, ideal for the formation of the mold and for the proliferation of bacteria.
2. If the size of the canopy are contained, the screw will benefit from the leaf surface to enjoy the best of the rays of the sun and allow the grapes to reach the proper degree of sugar.
3. A vineyard cared for and pruned in summer allows to agricultural machinery to move without problems, including shearing machines and potatrici if, in your vineyard, you opt to mechanical pruning.

Conclusions

The pruningof the vine , and includes all the operations to be performed during the season, “green”, from bud break to harvest. They are projects that are often overlooked but actually essential in order to ensure the health of the plants, the maintenance of the vineyard and the maturation of the grapes with the right degree of sugar.

BFM can help you to mechanise operations of pruning, thanks to a wide range of agricultural machinery, specially designed to meet the different types of plantation and land. Please contact our team to know the best solution according to your needs.