FERTILISER GUIDELINES FOR THE WINE INDUSTRY

TABLE 8: Vigour* (veraison to harvest) guidelines for nitrogen fertilisation of wine grapes with 10 ton ha-1 production level.

Nitrogen (kg -1 /ha -1 season -1 )

Vigour classification

After bud break

After set

After harvest Total

1) Poor

10

15 15 40

– Youngest shoots 30-60 cm – No/few active growing tips after flowering – Internodia mostly short (<5 cm) – Light/yellowish green leaf colour – Shoots thinner than pencil thickness at base (<1 cm) – Shoot length 80-120 cm – No or few active growing tips after veraison – Internodia length 6-8 cm – Dull green to light green leaves – Shoots thicker than pencil thickness at base (1-1.5 cm) 2) Ideal

(15)**

15 15- 30

5

3) Luxurious (excessively vigorous)

None

– Most shoots longer than 120 cm – Active growing tips after ripening

– Internodia length: >10 cm – Shiny, dark green leaves – Shoots thumb thickness at base (>2cm)

* Use the vigour of the previous year as guideline. ** Experience will show whether this instalment should also be omitted.

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