Speakers in the session will address viticultural and physiological parameters which promote vine balance and are sustainable. Information will be presented from vivicultural regions with different environmental conditions, for example, cool vs. warm climate and short vs. long growing season. Practical applications of the principles presented will also be covered.
The interaction between cultivar and environment is complex and of paramount importance in commercial viviculture. For any cultivar-environment interaction there is an optimum set of cultural practices or production system. From a physiological standpoint, the optimum production system would be one in which the grapevines capability to meet its crop and vine requirements each season is maximized.
There are a multitude of physiological processes occurring in grapevines during the growing season, often concurrently. For example, fruit development and maturation occur at the same time in which initiation and differentiation of buds, wood maturation and acclimation to low temperature, storage of sufficient carbohydrate reserves for early season growth and final inflorescence development are also underway. When both crop and vine requirements are met in a sustainable way, vines are recognized as having achieved balance. Balanced vines produce high-quality fruit and wine.