Guidelines for the preparation of table grapes in SA for export 2025/2026_ND

Actions by phenological stage

Dormancy Pruning: Half-long bearers (6–8 buds) with 12–15 buds per m 2 . This cultivar is fertile, but bunches on half-long bearers or canes are less compact than bunches on spurs. Improving bud break: Apply hydrogen cyanamide before bud break to advance the harvest date or improve bud break. Use according to the product registration. Bud break to flowering 2 cm shoot length: Start with the powdery mildew programme. 10–15 cm shoot length: Top dominant shoots so that shoots with bunches will all be more or less the same length at flowering. Apply nitrogen according to vigour. 20 cm shoot length: Thin shoots. Remove weak shoots and shoots without bunches. Retain the bottom bunch on shoots. 80–110 cm shoot length: Optimal shoot length at flowering. Flowering to set Full bloom: Thin with 1.5–2 ppm gibberellic acid. Use the higher dose during cold weather and in vineyards with marginal vigour. Under these conditions, low concentrations (1.0%) of low-biuret urea can be added to the thinning spray. Set to véraison 50% of berries with 6–7 mm diameter: Remove leaves around bunches. Apply 2 ppm gibberellic acid for berry enlargement in the Orange River. Be careful not to overenlarge the berries. Shorten bunches to 80 berries per bunch. Use the upper, less compact part of bunches. Leave 54 000 bunches per hectare. Apply nitrogen according to vigour. Start with a magnesium programme to control berry stem necrosis if necessary. Véraison to harvest ± 5% colour: This cultivar colours readily in the Western Cape, and ethephon is usually unnecessary. Apply 40–50 ml ethephon per 100 litres of water in the Orange River. ± 20% colour: Prune the apex of the trellis to open a gap of approximately 30 cm. Avoid direct sunlight on bunches. ± 75% of berries soft: Remove bunches on vines with poor colour compared with other vines. Harvest to packing Ideal sugar levels at harvest are 20 °Brix. This cultivar has high acidity levels. Therefore, high sugar levels are recommended for optimal taste. Sensitive to hairline cracks: Don’t handle turgid grapes on cold mornings after rain or irrigation.

Sensitive to SO 2 -damage: Use paper on the grapes. Use 4–5 mm perforated bags and a MAM sheet.

SATI GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF TABLE GRAPES IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR EXPORT 67