Non-traditional Vineyard Canopy Management for Increased Crop Yield and Improved Fruit Quality

View the project final report

• 2009 annual report

Commodities

• Fruits: grapes

Practices

• Crop Production: continuous cropping, no-till, application rate management, contour farming, terraces
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, mentoring, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, workshop
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, feasibility study, value added
• Pest Management: field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, physical control, prevention, row covers (for pests), weather monitoring
• Production Systems: holistic management
• Sustainable Communities: public participation, employment opportunities, social networks, sustainability measures

Research has demonstrated that increased crop yield (even doubling) and improved fruit quality may be obtained by utilizing a non-traditional vineyard canopy management system. This achievement, especially significant for sustainable organic farming, is at the expense of increased labor, which is usually not prohibitive for the family farm grape grower.