SATI Beyond The Bunch 2nd Quarter 2024

FURTHER READING

CONTACT US FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES: Feature your brand. mecia@satgi.co.za

CONTACT US FOR CONTENT ENQUIRIES: Submit your topic or question. tarryn@satgi.co.za

The following publications summarise South African research results and practical recommendations for the use of overhead plastic in table-grape production under local conditions: • Loubser JT, Avenant JH and Wolf EEH. 1995. Experience with protected cultivation of table grapes in South Africa. Proceedings of the 4th Australian Table Grape Industry Technical Conference October 1995. • Avenant JH. 1997. The influence of overhead plastic covering on advanced ripening of table grapes in the northern summer rainfall area. SA Deciduous Fruit Grower June 1997.

This review by Italian researchers provides additional technical information: Vittorino Novello and Laura de Palma provides additional technical information: Novello V and De Palma L. 2008. Growing grapes under cover. Acta Hortic (785) pp353–362.

Recent open-access publications from these researchers: • De Palma L, Limosani P, Pati S, Vox G, Scettini E and Novello V. 2019. Vineyard protection with rain shelter: relationships between radiometric properties of plastic covers and table grape quality. BIO Web of Conferences (13) p04007. • De Palma L, Vox G, Scettini E and Novello V. 2022. Reduction of evapotranspiration in microenvironment conditions of table grape vineyards protected by different types of plastic covers. Agronomy 12(3) p600.

RELEVANT RESEARCH PROJECTS

A project funded by the Northern Cape Province Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and led by Eunice Avenant of the SAGWRI at Stellenbosch University aimed to quantify water use of table-grape vineyards in the Orange River Region. The study included a comparison of uncovered, net-covered, and net- plus plastic-covered full-bearing commercial Sultana H5 vineyards.

A SATI-funded project led by Janéne Strydom and Kobus Hunter of the ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij used plastic covers to study different microclimates in full bearing commercial Crimson Seedless vineyards near Robertson. The final results are expected in 2025. Find a description of the project on the SATI website.

Please note that the above list is not exhaustive. We are aware that further resources may exist.

BEYOND THE BUNCH • 12 • QUARTER 2 • 2024