Grape Grower's Handbook

The Complete Guide To Growing Wine Grapes

Features and Benefits

• Explains wine grape growing in plain English
• Full and detailed discussion on all aspects of wine grape growing
• Provides an overview of the U.S. wine industry
• Provides a useful step-by-step guide to vineyard site selection, establishment, and management
• Pruning and training
• Vine fertilization
• Grapevine water relations and vineyard irrigation
• Vineyard pest mangagement
• Soil managment in growing wine grapes
• Cover cropping in vineyards
• Wine grape harvest and post harvest operations

Description

The Grape Grower's Handbook is a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide covering an extensive range of topics in growing wine grapes from the wine industry, vineyard establishment and management to pest management and postharvest handling in commercial vineyards. It is extremely valuable both for current wine grape growers and for prospective growers.

Browse Within This Book

Table of Contents
Introduction
Ch. 1 U.S. Wine Industry
The U.S. is one of the largest and fastest growing wine markets of the world. It has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Ch. 2 The Growth of Grapevines
The annual growth cycle of the grapevine involves many processes and events. Ch. 3 Wine Grape Cultivars
Selection of the right cultivar (variety) is a major factor for successful production of wine grapes and is primarily based two factors: market outlook and viticultural characteristics. Ch. 4 Root Stocks
A fundamental decision in developing your vineyard is selecting the rootstock variety best suited to your site and conditions. Ch. 5 Vineyard Site Selection
Grapes one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, can be grown almost anywhere except for some of the more, colder climates. Ch. 6 Vineyard Establishment
After a suitable site has been selected the next step is vineyard establishment, which involves site preparation, vineyard design, vine planting, and trellis construction. Ch. 7 Trellis Systems
Vineyard trellis systems are used to provide a framework for supporting vines. Ch. 8 Training and Pruning
Training and pruning are two separate practices that play very important roles in the development and maintenance of grapevines. Ch. 9 Canopy Management
Canopy management is a broad term used to describe both proactive and remedial measures that can be taken to improve grapevine canopy characteristics. Ch. 10 Vineyard Irrigation
Adequate quantities of water are esential for rapid vineyard development and wine grape production. Ch. 11 Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation is the most efficient way to supply supplemental moisture to grapevines. Ch. 12 Grapevine Nutrition
Grapes, like other crops, require adequate supplies of all essential mineral elements for optimum growth and yield. Ch. 13 Types of Fertilizers
There are various types of fertilizers suitable for use in vineyards, each of which are suited to different situations and serve different purposes. Ch. 14 Fertigation
In drip-irrigation, fertilizers can be applied through the system with the irrigation water directly to the region where most of the vines roots develop. Ch. 15 Soil Management
A healthy soil provides provides vital nutrients, moisture, aeration and drainage to grow wine grapes. Ch. 16 Grape Diseases
Disease management is an important and integral part of wine grape production. Ch. 17 Insect and Mite Pests
Although several insect types can damage berry clusters or vines, shoots, roots, or leaves, most only occasionally cause serious injury. Ch. 18 Nematodes
Nematodes are are microscopic, unsegmented roundworms that feed on vine roots by puncturing and sucking the cell contents. Ch. 19 Weed Management
Weed control in vineyards is a year-round process that starts before the vineyard is established and continues throughout the life cycle of the vines. Ch. 20 Pesticides
There are many pesticides available for use in vineyards, all of which control specific pest and disease problems. Ch. 21 Pesticide Application
There is a wide range of application equipment suitable for applying insecticides and fungicides to grapevines, each with its own particular strengths and weaknesses. Ch. 22 Integrated Pest Management
Integrated pest management (IPM) in grwoing wine grapes involves compiling detailed, timely information about the wine grape crop and its pests to ensure that pest management decisions are economically, environmentally, and socially sound. Ch. 23 Wildlife Pests
Wildlide damage in the vineyard varies by region due to differences in climate and terrain, the time of year, and the type of wildlife. Ch. 24 Frost Protection
Low temperature damage is a significant problem in many grape-growing regions. Ch. 25 Cover Crops
Cover crops are grown in vineyards for various reasons, such as erosion control, nitrogen or organic matter addition, improved soil structure and water penetration, reducing excessive soil moisture and vine vigor, and enhanced pest management. Ch. 26 Harvest and Post Harvest Operations
The greatest potential of any wine grape variety is realized only when it is harvested at the proper time based on three parameters: sugar content, acid content and pH. Ch. 27 Cost of Growing Wine Grapes
Growing wine grapes is a very capital-intensive crop, and established vineyards can be productive for many years. Appendixes
Glossary
Index (PDF)