|
|
Vines pruned by machine are said to show up to three times fewer symptoms of wood diseases than vines pruned by hand, according to a French study. According to those responsible for the study at the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), this result confirms the statements of many vintners.
Claire Grosbellet, in charge of vineyards and wine in the BNIC's research department, says: "Our experiments and our literature analysis show us that machine pruning reduces Esca symptoms by 25 per cent and mortality by 61 per cent compared to manual pruning."
Jean-Amand Pérez, responsible for viticulture at the Vinovalie cooperative group, confirms this, but without giving any figures. "In the vineyards that have been pruned by machine since they were planted in 2011, wood diseases occur significantly less often. In vineyards of the same age with classic pruning, the proportion of dead vines can already be 10 per cent." The reason he gives for this is that machine pruning only leads to injuries in young wood, which is at most one to three years old and heals better than old wood. "With a machine you only cut the wood of the year and you don't make big cuts."
Machine pruning has increased in France in IGP and Vin de France vineyards with yields over 80 hl/ha, but is not allowed in any AOC. Winemaker Pascal Pelissou from the Tarn department apparently doesn't expect his vineyards that are pruned by machine to last particularly long: "They can last well over twenty years if managed properly." He sees only one drawback to machine pruning: "The risk of black rot can cause complications, as this type of pruning can leave mummified berries on the vines that contain an inoculum."
(al / source: vitisphere; photo: 123rf)