Propagation of grapevines

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A Sangiovese grapevine in a vineyard with a cane extended. Prior to this cane developing grape clusters it could have been planted in the ground to propagate by layering. Sangiovese grapevine.jpg
A Sangiovese grapevine in a vineyard with a cane extended. Prior to this cane developing grape clusters it could have been planted in the ground to propagate by layering.

The propagation of grapevines is an important consideration in commercial viticulture and winemaking. Grapevines, most of which belong to the Vitis vinifera family, produce one crop of fruit each growing season with a limited life span for individual vines. While some centenarian old vine examples of grape varieties exist, most grapevines are between the ages of 10 and 30 years. As vineyard owners seek to replant their vines, a number of techniques are available which may include planting a new cutting that has been selected by either clonal or mass (massal) selection. Vines can also be propagated by grafting a new plant vine upon existing rootstock or by layering one of the canes of an existing vine into the ground next to the vine and severing the connection when the new vine develops its own root system. [1]

Contents

In commercial viticulture, grapevines are rarely propagated from seedlings as each seed contains unique genetic information from its two parent varieties (the flowering parent and the parent that provided the pollen that fertilized the flower) and would, theoretically, be a different variety than either parent. This would be true even if two hermaphroditic vine varieties, such as Chardonnay, cross pollinated each other. While the grape clusters that would arise from the pollination would be considered Chardonnay any vines that sprang from one of the seeds of the grape berries would be considered a distinct variety other than Chardonnay. It is for this reason that grapevines are usually propagated from cuttings while grape breeders will utilize seedlings to come up with new grape varieties including crossings that include parents of two varieties within the same species (such as Cabernet Sauvignon which is a crossing of the Vitis vinifera varieties Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon blanc) or hybrid grape varieties which include parents from two different Vitis species such as the Armagnac grape Baco blanc, which was propagated from the vinifera grape Folle blanche and the Vitis labrusca variety Noah. [1]

Terminology

Pinot gris (center) and Pinot blanc (right) are color mutations of Pinot noir (left). Pinot noir, Pinot gris and Pinot blanc.png
Pinot gris (center) and Pinot blanc (right) are color mutations of Pinot noir (left).

A color mutation is a grape variety that while genetically similar to the original variety is considered unique enough to merit being considered its own variety. Both Pinot gris and Pinot blanc are color mutations of Pinot noir. [1]

In viticulture, a clone is a single vine that has been selected from a "mother vine" to which it is identical. This clone may have been selected deliberately from a grapevine that has demonstrated desirable traits (good yields, grape disease resistance, small berry size, etc.) and propagated as cuttings from that mother vine. Varieties such as Sangiovese and Pinot noir are well known to have a variety of clones. While there may be slight mutations to differentiate the various clones, all clones are considered genetically part of the same variety (i.e. Sangiovese or Pinot noir). [2]

A selection massale is the opposite of cloning, where growers select cuttings from the mass of the vineyard, or a field blend.

A crossing is a new grape variety that was created by the cross pollination of two different varieties of the same species. Syrah is a crossing of two French Vitis vinifera species, Dureza from the Ardèche and Mondeuse blanche from Savoie. [3] Theoretically, every seedling (also known as a selfling), even if its pollinated by a member of the same grape variety (i.e. such as two Merlot vines), is a crossing as any vine that results from the seed being planted will be a different grape variety distinct from either parent. [1]

A hybrid is a new grape variety that was produced from a cross pollination of two different grape species. In the early history of American winemaking, grape growers would cross the European Vitis vinifera vines with American vine varieties such as Vitis labrusca to create French-American hybrids that were more resistant to American grape diseases such as downy and powdery mildew as well as phylloxera. When the phylloxera epidemic of the mid to late 19th century hit Europe, some growers in European wine regions experimented with using hybrids until a solution involving grafting American rootstocks to vinifera varieties was found. Eventually, the use of hybrids in wine production declined with their use formally outlawed by European wine laws in the 1950s. [1]

Young vine cuttings in a nursery Grape Vine Cuttings.jpg
Young vine cuttings in a nursery

Propagation methods

As commercial winemakers usually want to work with a desired grape variety that dependably produces a particular crop, most grapevines are propagated by clonal or massal selection of plant material. This can be accomplished in one of three ways. [1]

Cuttings

This involves a shoot taken from a mother vine and then planted where the shoot will eventually sprout a root system and regenerate itself into a full-fledged vine with trunk and canopy. Often new cuttings will be first planted in a nursery where it is allowed to develop for a couple of years before being planted in the vineyard. [1]

Grafting

Grafting is a process in which a new grape vine is produced by making a cut in the rootstock and then adding scionwood that is cut to fit inside the incision made in the rootstock. [4] This involves removing the canopy and most of the trunk of an existing vine and replacing it with a cutting of a new vine that is sealed by a graft union.

There are two main types of grafting in the relation to the propagation of a grapevine. [5]

Bench Grafting

Omega Graft Omega-pfropfen.jpg
Omega Graft

This process is typically performed in the beginning of a new year in a greenhouse, taking place during the late winter months, to the early spring months. This process is used on younger and smaller vines before the vines are planted in a vineyard. However, the type of cut made on the grape vine determines the classification of the Bench graft. The two techniques to perform a Bench Graft includes the Omega Graft and the Whip Graft. [5] [6]

The Omega Graft is performed by the rootstock and scion being grafted together by the two pieces being cut into shapes that align together. [7]

The Whip Graft is performed by making an identical small dip at angle into the rootstock and the scion, so they can be adjoined. [6]

Field Grafting

Field grafting is performed after the vine has been planted in a vineyard and has aged a few years. The objective of using this method is to avoid replanting and a final product of a grapevine with two diversifications. The procedure of field grafting is performed with the vines still planted, by making two inversions in the rootstock of a certain type of grapevines and placing two of the same type of scions that differ from the rootstock into the rootstock. The most common ways to perform field grafting are the Chip Bud method, the T Bud method, the Cleft Graft and the Bark Graft. [5] [8]

The Chip Bud Method is performed shortly after the grape vine is planted, giving the rootstock enough time to become active but the bud of the grape vine is still inactive. It is performed by cutting two small slopes in both sides of the rootstock and cutting a small scion into a small bud and placing the scion bud into the cuts made on the rootstock. [9]

The T Bud Method is performed by making a cutting a T at the bottom of the grapevine that is above the soil. Once the T is cut, the bark surrounding the cut is pulled back and the scion is placed between the two sides that were pulled back. [10]

The Chip Graft is performed on the branches of a grape vine, when the rootstock is dormant. The method is performed by making a wedge in the rootstock and placing two scions into the wedge. After the Graft starts growing one of the scions is removed, leaving only one to grow. [11]

The Bark Graft is performed by making three incisions on the edge of the grape vine's rootstock, and removing majority of the bark around each of the cuttings, leaving a small amount of bark at the end of the cut and inserting three of the same scions into the incisions, using the remaining piece of the cut bark to cover the end of the scions. [12]

Layering

In established vineyards where only a few vines need to be replaced within a row (such as vine lost to machine damage or disease), a new vine can be propagated by bending a cane from a neighboring vine into the ground and covering it with dirt. This segment of vine will soon begin sprouting its own independent root system while still being nourished by the connecting vine. Eventually, the connection between the two vines is severed, allowing each vine to grow independently. [1]

Clonal versus massal selection

One criticism of clonal selection is that the use of only one or two clones greatly diminishes the genetic diversity of a vineyard. Vineyard 1.jpg
One criticism of clonal selection is that the use of only one or two clones greatly diminishes the genetic diversity of a vineyard.

Each cutting, taken from a mother vine, is a clone of that vine. The way that a vine grower selects these cuttings can be described as either clonal or massal selection. In clonal selection, an ideal plant within a vineyard or nursery that has exhibited the most desirable traits is selected with all cuttings taken from that single plant. In massal (or "mass") selection, cuttings are taken from several vines of the same variety that have collectively demonstrated desirable traits. [1]

A vineyard in the Napa Valley showing which particular clone of Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in this block Vineyard sign showing Cab Sauv clone.jpg
A vineyard in the Napa Valley showing which particular clone of Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in this block

Historically, massal selection was the primary means of vineyard propagation, particularly in traditional vineyards where vines are only sporadically replaced, often by layering a cane from a neighboring vine. In the 1950s, the isolation and identification of desirable clones in nurseries and breeding stations lead to an increase in clonal selection with new vineyard plantings seeking out clones from well established vineyards and wine region. This trend towards clonal selection has seen some criticism from wine writers and viticulturalists who complain about "mono-clonal" viticulture that has the risk of producing wines that are overly similar and dull. [1]

Other criticisms of clonal selection involve the increased risk in vineyards lacking genetic diversity among its vines as well as the changing priorities in wine production. While many clones in the mid to late 20th century were isolated, some of the desirable traits exhibited by those clones (such as early ripening or high yield potential) may no longer be as desirable today where other traits (such as low yields and drought resistance) may be more prized. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruit tree propagation</span> Usually carried out vegetatively by grafting or budding a desired variety onto a suitable rootstock

Fruit tree propagation is usually carried out vegetatively (non-sexually) by grafting or budding a desired variety onto a suitable rootstock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vineyard</span> Plantation of grape-bearing vines

A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards are often characterised by their terroir, a French term loosely translating as "a sense of place" that refers to the specific geographical and geological characteristics of grapevine plantations, which may be imparted to the wine itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phylloxera</span> Species of insect that plagues grapevines

Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaera vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae. The insect is commonly just called phylloxera.

<i>Vitis vinifera</i> Species of flowering plant in the grape vine family Vitaceae

Vitis vinifera, the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. As of 2012, there were between 5,000 and 10,000 varieties of Vitis vinifera grapes though only a few are of commercial significance for wine and table grape production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chlorosis</span> Medical condition in plants

In botany, chlorosis is a condition in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyll. As chlorophyll is responsible for the green color of leaves, chlorotic leaves are pale, yellow, or yellow-white. The affected plant has little or no ability to manufacture carbohydrates through photosynthesis and may die unless the cause of its chlorophyll insufficiency is treated and this may lead to a plant disease called rusts, although some chlorotic plants, such as the albino Arabidopsis thaliana mutant ppi2, are viable if supplied with exogenous sucrose.

<i>Vitis labrusca</i> Species of grapevine

Vitis labrusca, the fox grape, is a species of grapevines belonging to the Vitis genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The vines are native to eastern North America and are the source of many grape cultivars, including Catawba, Concord, Delaware, Isabella, Niagara, and many hybrid grape varieties such as Agawam, Alexander and Onaka. Among the characteristics of this vine species in contrast to the European wine grape Vitis vinifera are its "slip-skin" that allows the skin of the grape berries to easily slip off when squeezed, instead of crushing the pulp, and the presence of tendrils on every node of the cane. Another contrast with European vinifera is the characteristic "foxy" musk of V. labrusca, best known to most people through the Concord grape. This musk is not related to the mammalian fox, but rather to the strong, earthy aromas characteristic of the grapes that were known by early European-American settlers in the New World. The term "foxy" became a sort of catchall for the wine tasting descriptors used for these American wines that were distinct from the familiar flavors of the European viniferous wines.

A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced. It could also be described as a stem with a well developed root system, to which a bud from another plant is grafted. It can refer to a rhizome or underground stem. In grafting, it refers to a plant, sometimes just a stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, onto which a cutting or a bud from another plant is grafted. In some cases, such as vines of grapes and other berries, cuttings may be used for rootstocks, the roots being established in nursery conditions before planting them out. The plant part grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion. The scion is the plant that has the properties that propagator desires above ground, including the photosynthetic activity and the fruit or decorative properties. The rootstock is selected for its interaction with the soil, providing the roots and the stem to support the new plant, obtaining the necessary soil water and minerals, and resisting the relevant pests and diseases. After a few weeks, the tissues of the two parts will have grown together, eventually forming a single plant. After some years, it may be difficult to detect the site of the graft although the product always contains the components of two genetically different plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid grape</span> Variety of grape

Hybrid grapes are grape varieties that are the product of a crossing of two or more Vitis species. This is in contrast to crossings between grape varieties of the same species, typically Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine. Hybrid grapes are also referred to as inter-species crossings or "Modern Varieties." Due to their often excellent tolerance to powdery mildew, other fungal diseases, nematodes, and phylloxera, hybrid varieties have, to some extent, become a renewed focus for European breeding programs. The recently developed varieties are examples of newer hybrid grape varieties for European viticulturalists. Several North American breeding programs, such as those at Cornell and the University of Minnesota, focus exclusively on hybrid grapes, with active and successful programs, having created hundreds if not thousands of new varieties.

Gros Verdot is a red French wine grape variety that was a historically important grape in the Gironde wine region of Bordeaux but plantings of the variety have been banned in the region since 1946 with the grape no longer being a permitted variety in any AOC Bordeaux wines.

Pineau d'Aunis is a red French wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Loire Valley around Anjou and Touraine.

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<i>Vitis</i> Genus flowering plants in the grape family Vitaceae

Vitis (grapevine) is a genus of 81 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus consists of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce wine. The study and cultivation of grapevines is called viticulture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grafting</span> Horticultural technique of joining plant tissues to grow together

Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion while the lower part is called the rootstock. The success of this joining requires that the vascular tissues grow together. The natural equivalent of this process is inosculation. The technique is most commonly used in asexual propagation of commercially grown plants for the horticultural and agricultural trades. The scion is typically joined to the rootstock at the soil line; however, top work grafting may occur far above this line, leaving an understock consisting of the lower part of the trunk and the root system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finger Lakes AVA</span>

The Finger Lakes AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Upstate New York, south of Lake Ontario. It was established in 1982 and encompasses the eleven Finger Lakes, but the area around Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes contain the vast majority of vineyard plantings in the AVA. Cayuga and Seneca Lakes each have their own American Viticultural Areas completely contained within the Finger Lakes AVA. The Finger Lakes AVA includes 11,000 acres (4,452 ha) of vineyards and is the largest wine-producing region in New York State.

This glossary of viticultural terms list some of terms and definitions involved in growing grapes for use in winemaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vine training</span> Horticultural technique

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Blanc du Bois is an American hybrid grape that was created in 1968 by John A. Mortensen at the University of Florida’s Central Florida Research and Education Center in Leesburg, Florida. Mortensen created this variety by crossing various Vitis vinifera grape varieties such as Golden Muscat with native Florida varieties. When released in 1987, Blanc du Bois became another grape variety in the small but growing number of vine types that can both produce marketable wine on their own yet can withstand Pierce's Disease, a bacterial infection that destroys nearly all vinifera vinestocks imported into the southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermann J. Wiemer</span> Winemaker (1941–present)

Hermann J. Wiemer is the founder of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, a winery specializing in Rieslings in Dundee, New York.

References

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