A Technical Guide
for Wine Producers

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Work Programme - May 1999

1. PLANNING AND PREPARATION

May is planning month. If overall planning for your farm has not yet been done, now is the time. If overall planning has been completed it may now be revised. (See: Wynboer Tegnies, No. 10, January 1985 for Netwerk vir die vestiging van wingerd).

1.1 Short-term

  • Determine the cost of establishing a vineyard to ensure the cost does not exceed your budget.
  • Determine the labour requirements for pruning and make the necessary arrangements.

Financial

  • Feasibility studies and break-even analysis for purchasing farmland and other capital expansions can be compiled by Paiter Botha (021 - 8073302 or 082 806 0429) and Johan Truter (021 - 8073043 or 082 806 0428) at a predetermined hourly rate.

  • If interested in a profitability analysis of your wine grape enterprise (Production Plan) or advise on options to finance establishing of wine grapes, contact any of the agricultural economists at the above mentioned telephone numbers.

  • Finalise bookkeeping activities of all financial transactions that occurred during the previous month. Compare the actual monthly spendings with budgeted monthly spendings for the current year as well as with actual spendings of the previous year. In the case of irregularities, identify the cause and take affirmative steps to avoid recurrence.

  • In the event of a financial year ending June and with the expectation of a substantial Income Tax assessment, it is proper to invest in productive capital, for example trellising or irrigation equipment, rather than investing in vehicles or implements.

    1.2 Long-term

    Establishing a vineyard: A "Guide for Establishing a Vineyard", compiled by KWV's Consultation Service which contains the latest Technical and Financial information on this subject can be ordered from Mrs Gerda Kriel, Tel 021 - 8073027.

    Establishment advice: Do the necessary soil surveys and decide in colaboration with your Cellar master/Viticultural advisor on future plantings. To avoid disappointment it is necessary to order planting material (cultivar and rootstock) well in advance. Consult your viticultural advisor so that an establishment programme for a few years in advance can be drawn up. Order your planting material well in advance according to the programme.

    Replacement: Discuss the performance of your vineyard blocks with your Viticultural Advisor so that he can assist in identifying problems and deciding which blocks should be replaced.

    2. VINEYARD PROGRAMME

    Soil preparation: Soil which has not yet been prepared must be cultivated now if the moisture content is favorable. Optimum moisture content is essential for effective soil preparation. Avoid preparing soil, which is too wet or too dry. Consult an expert and dig profile holes before you decide when to prepare and which implement to use. The efficiency of the soil preparation should be checked by making profile holes after the preparation to ensure that the required result is obtained.

    Grafting material: Collect cultivar material to be kept in cold storage for green grafting in November.

    Soil conservation: Clean and repair if necessary run-off strips and furrows to prevent erosion during winter rains.

    Reparation: This is a quiet month on a grape farm, so it is a good time to inspect and repair trellises, implements (on rainy days), etc.

    Drainage: Start draining wet soil to be planted in the next year.

    Trellising: Achors and poles can be planted in young vineyards now. In vineyards where trellising has not been completed, remaining wires can be strung. See video titled "Wingerdoplei".

    Quick grass control: Spray quick grass patches in the vineyard with a systemic herbicide before pruning. Take great care not to spray leaves and green vine shoots with Roundup as this herbicide is easily translocated to the roots in autumn, with harmful results.

    Winter-pruning: Pruning is one of the most important practises in viticulture and in the case of wine grapes the main crop limiting factor. Pruning should not start before at least 80 persent of the leaves have dropped and sufficient cold had occured to prevent untimely budburst. The following are the four main aims of pruning:
    i) To develop the desired shape of young vines (bush-trained and trellised).
    ii) To obtain a good balance between growth and production of each individual vine and maintain this balance on a regular basis.
    iii) To obtain regular crops of the desired quality.
    iv) To obtain bearers in the desired position and as close as possible to the permanent trunk, to rejuvenate vines and to remove unproductive growth.

    Study the video "Wintersnoei". Determine the training requirements of labourers regarding pruning and train if necessary. Use well-trained labourers for pre-pruning. The main aspects of pruning are shape and bud load and special attention must be given to these.
    As the pruning of bush-trained vines, development of vines in trellising and winter pruning of mature vines are treated in detail in Wingerdbou in Suid-Afrika, pp. 202 - 233, only the following practical hints are given:
    Pre-pruning: To spread labour the canes of trellised vines can be cut off 300 - 400 mm from their base. The time consuming work of pulling out canes between wires can be done now. (Female labour can be used for this task).

    Clean-pruning: The activities during pruning can be spread further by clean-pruning, ie by removing all canes except bearers. Much later in the season the bearers are cut to their required length.

    Pre-pruning and clean-pruning should preferably be applied to luxuriant vines.

    Excessively luxuriant vines should be pre-pruned during May and be clean-pruned and cut to the required length in one operation towards the end of July.

    Delayed foliage occurs when buds which would have produced grapes did not bud at all or produced buds very late. The result of late budding is that such grapes cannot be used. The main cause of delayed foliage is high minimum temperatures during early winter, especially May. It appears as if periodical minimum temperature of more than 10 ° C can cause this condition in which case chemicals which breaks the dormancy can be used.

    Cultivars such as Chardonnay, Colombar and Cape Riesling which are susceptible to delayed foliage must be pruned as late as possible (definitely not in May) and should be pre-pruned and pruned in one operation. Pre-pruning (hedge-pruning) should not be practised on such cultivars. (See Wynboer Tegnies No 28, Die voorkoms van vertraagde bot in 1987 and Wynboer Tegnies No 29, Strategie vir bekamping van vertraagde bot by wingerde).

    Snail control: Immediately after the first autumn rains snails move from vines to the soil to feed and lay eggs.

    Good control is obtained by placing bait (snail pellets) after the first autumn rain. Snails are more active during cool moist conditions and as they feed mainly at night it is advisable to spread the bait during late afternoon. Bait must be replaced regularly (every 2 - 3 weeks) and more often after rain. (See Wynboer Tegnies No 22, September 1987, Die slakprobleem in Wes-Kaapland). In the case of serious infestation ducks can be used as alternative control measure.

    Nematode infestation: The economic importance of nematode infestation in grapevines can only be evaluated if all factors that have an effect on this, are investigated. This will require a thorough soil sampling and nematode analysis, as well as an examination of the soil and the root distribution in the soil. As a control measure, the use of resistant and moderately resistant rootstocks is recommended. If the vineyard is establised, chemical control with systemic nematicides is only recommended if nematodes have been identified as the cause of poor growth and if soil conditions are such that improved growth can be accomplished. Chemical control is not recommended in the following cases:

    • Where vineyards have been doing well for 10 - 15 years, despite the incidence of moderate or high nematode populations.
    • Where restrictions in the soil are such that improved growth is unlikely.

    In the case of plantings, chemical control with fumigants, prior to establishment, is recommended in the following cases:

    • Where old vineyard soils are replanted and root-knot, dagger or root-lesion nematodes occur.
    • In new soils with high populations of root-knot, dagger or root-lesion nematodes.
    • In new soils with low populations of root-knot, dagger or root-lesion nematodes, but where soil and/or viticultural factors dictate the use of a susceptible or moderately susceptible rootstock.

    In all cases it is recommended that after chemical control, practises be applied that will stimulate root growth, such as correct root pruning, irrigation and nutrition. (Decidious Fruit Grower, January 1989, Vol. 39 No 1).

    3. VITICULTURE CONSULTANTS IN THE VARIOUS KWV DISTRICTS

    For viticulture enquiries consult your nearest KWV Viticulture Consultant.

    Paarl/Wellington/
    Tulbagh:    		 Bennie Liebenberg (021) 8073018, 083 455 5197 or Gavin Taylor (021) 8073418, 083 455 5193.
    Malmesbury: Johan Pienaar (021) 8870014, 083 309 7637, Nelius van Huyssteen 083 455 5198 or Bennie Liebenberg (021) 8073018, 083 455 5197.
    Robertson/Klein Karoo:
    (02351 - 3017)    		 Francois Viljoen 083 309 7626, Briaan Stipp 083 455 5196, Leon Dippenaar 083 455 5194 or Stephan Joubert 083 650 5590.
    Bonnieval/Orange River Hendrik Myburgh (02351) 3017 or 083 455 5195. Dirk Malan (054) 4612299, 082 495 7999 or Dricus van der Westhuizen 083 309 7625.
    Stellenbosch:
    (021- 8870014)    		 Johan Pienaar, 083 309 7637 or Cobus van Graan 082 650 4404.
    Worcester:
    (0231 - 72795)    		 Schalk du Toit 083 303 0530, Pierre Snyman 083 455 5191, Anton Roos 083 629 1735 or Hanno van Schalkwyk 083 455 5192
    Olifants River: Dricus van der Westhuizen 083 309 7625 or Nelius van Huyssteen 083 455 5198

    4. OENOLOGY CONSULTANT

    1 Planning and design of new cellars (50 to 5 000 tons). A total package in this regard is now supplied by the service from cultivar recommendations, costings, cellar design incorporating the latest cellar technology through to the design and management of waste systems.
    2 Upgrading of existing cellars to enable them to become internationally competitive.
    3 Latest production methods regarding different cultivars and wine styles.
    4 Recommendations regarding problem wines, adjustments and blends.

    Eugene van Zyl can be contacted at 082 577 2758.

    5. WINE GRAPE PLANTING MATERIAL

    Enquiries regarding planting material can be obtained from KWV's Plant Improvement Division:

    - Clone information - Charles Visser (021) 8073036

    - Planting material purchase/availability - Andre le Roux (021) 8073019.

    - Grafting and Nursery activities - Dirk Visser (021) 8073206.

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