Canopy management involves a range of techniques used in the vineyard to manage a grapevine’s canopy (the leaves, shoots and fruit) from the time of winter pruning until harvest. The links below present information on vine balance, vine structure, the equipment required for pruning and biosecurity and WHS considerations, and the basic methodology and principles of pruning.
- Wine Australia’s canopy management resources
- Vineyard biosecurity for seasonal workers (Vinehealth Australia fact sheet)
- COVID-19 health and safety guidelines for vineyard workers (AGW/AWRI fact sheet)
- Top tips for healthy pruning and managing grapevine trunk disease (Vinehealth Australia article)
- Grapevine trunk disease (Wine Australia best practice management guide)
- Ask the AWRI: Mixed cost and quality effects from thinning (PDF article)
- Ask the AWRI: Can you achieve yield control in the vineyard without using bunch thinning? (PDF article)
- Delayed pruning (Wine Australia factsheet)
- Canopy management (Viticare on farm trial manual)
- Ask the AWRI: How to tame an unruly canopy (PDF article)
DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
- A beginner’s guide to grapevine pruning (AWRI demonstration video)
- The basics of pruning a grapevine part 1: Introduction to pruning (AWRI demonstration video)
- The basics of pruning a grapevine part 2 : Spur pruning (AWRI demonstration video)
- The basics of pruning a grapevine part 3: Cane pruning (AWRI demonstration video)
- Pruning grapevines (University of Adelaide World of Wine video)
- Hand snips: daily maintenance (demonstration video)
- Hand snips: semi-regular maintenance (demonstration video)
WEBINAR RECORDINGS
- Targeted manipulation of vine balance: does vine balance directly affect fruit composition? (AWRI webinar 11 October 2018)
- Impact of pruning time and temperature on wine attributes (AWRI webinar 25 August 2016)
- Post-pruning and reworking management for reducing trunk disease infection and spread (AWRI webinar 19 June 2019)
- Bud dissection as a tool to evaluate the impacts of fire on grapevines and inform pruning decisions (AWRI webinar 30 April 2020)
- Winter pruning to increase the longevity of vines webinars (AWRI webinar 29 July 2021) – recorded in two parts:
- Winter pruning to increase the longevity of vines – Part 1, presented by Mia Fischer (SIMONIT &SIRCH) and Dr Mark Sosnowski (SARDI) includes an introduction to the SIMONIT&SIRCH pruning method, which aims to promote healthy, sustainable vine structural development, from young vines to the rehabilitation of older vineyards. It also covers pruning strategies developed by SARDI for management of grapevine trunk diseases.
- Winter pruning to increase the longevity of vines – Part 2, presented by Nigel Blieschke (Torbreck Vintners) includes a grower perspective on the SIMONIT&SIRCH pruning method.