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Researchers from the University of Navarra have confirmed the benefits of gentle vine pruning for the first time with a scientific study. Vine stocks grow better when the winemaker pays attention to the sap flow while cutting. This is evidenced by the investigations on young plants.
At the Terclimpro conference on February 18 and 19 in Bordeaux, Prof. Luis Gonzaga Santesteban reported on the research results. The scientists conducted tests in two newly established Tempranillo plots in Navarra and Rioja. The vines are cultivated in the same way and had not been pruned before.
The sap flows in the vine in two parallel channels. Gentle vine pruning means pruning the stock only on one side. This allows the sap to flow freely on the other side. Additionally, it is important to keep the cut wound as small as possible so that it can heal quickly. For this, the winemaker leaves a relatively long stump of the cut shoot. This pruning technique was developed by the Italians Marco Simonit and Pierpaolo Sirch; therefore, it is also called the Simonit&Sirch method.
The Spanish researchers compared gentle vine pruning with two other pruning methods. The aggressive cut does not consider the sap flow in the vine and leaves a large cut wound without a stump. The traditional cut in the region is an intermediate style: it also does not take the sap flow into account but retains a short stump. The three pruning methods were applied over three years in five phases of vine stock development.
The investigations showed that the gently pruned vines exhibited significantly stronger growth than the aggressively or traditionally pruned stocks. From this, Luis Gonzaga Santesteban concludes: "A respectful vine pruning that emphasizes the importance of sap flow and minimizes unnecessary cuts can be an effective strategy for maintaining optimal vine health." He now wants to apply his research in older vineyards to verify the results.
(cs / vitisphere.com / ives-technicalreviews.eu)