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 13–15 buds per m 2 (130 000–150 000 buds per hectare). Improving bud break: Prune so that bearers all have more or less the same diameter (9–11 mm). Canes that are too thin or too thick have uneven bud break. Bud break to flowering 30–50 cm shoot length: Avoid excessive nitrogen, as it can cause excessive shatter. Thin shoots. Remove shoots without bunches. Crop load can be reduced at this stage, but the risk of excessive shatter must be kept in mind, and enough extra bunches should be retained. 100–120 cm shoot length: Optimal shoot length at flowering. Shoots shorter than 100 cm at flowering indicate poor growth, which can be detrimental to subsequent berry enlargement. Avoid excessive vigour. Ensure that the vineyard has optimal nutrient levels and apply foliar feeds and fertilisers if necessary. Remove leaves and manage the canopy to ensure good light penetration. Flowering to set In flowering: The following actions can reduce shatter in vigorous vineyards: • Remove leaves around bunches at 5% flowering. • Tip and shoulder bunches, especially large bunches, at 5% flowering. • Top shoots at 20% flowering. It may be necessary to do all of the above during warm weather and in vigorous vineyards. The use of cytokinin for set is not recommended as it can cause rounder berries and negatively impact colour development. Set to véraison 5–6 mm berry diameter: Girdling can improve berry size. High doses of gibberellic acid combined with girdling can lead to berries that are too large. 8 mm berry diameter: Remove leaves around bunches. Apply 5–8 ppm gibberellic acid for berry enlargement. If berries are uneven, apply 4 ppm gibberellic acid at 4 mm berry diameter and repeat at 8 mm berry diameter. Shorten bunches to 80 berries per bunch. Leave 46 500 bunches per hectare. 10 mm berry diameter: Control berry stem necrosis with magnesium and calcium foliar feeds. Berries are vulnerable to heat damage from approximately 14 days before véraison to approximately 10% colour. Véraison to harvest ± 10% colour: Apply 25 ml ethephon per 100 litres of water to promote colour development. Diffuse light under the canopy is important, but berries shouldn’t receive direct sun. Manage irrigation to reduce the risk of berry cracking at harvest. Control decay. ± 75% colour: Remove damaged berries and bunches. Harvest to packing Don’t handle turgid grapes on cold mornings after rain or irrigation.

SATI GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF TABLE GRAPES IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR EXPORT 89