Precise Indoor Vine Conditioning: A Proof of Concept Study Using Supplemental Lighting to Enhance Young Grapevine Nursery Production

Kyle A. Freedman, PhD Final Seminar
Under the direction of Drs. Mark Hoffmann & Ricardo Hernández
Department of Horticultural Science, NCSU

9:00 am, Wednesday, November 20, 2024
121 Kilgore Hall (Hybrid)

Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 930 8314 9499
Passcode: 040913

 Freedman.Abstr.pdf

Abstract:

It takes three to four years from transplanting a grapevine to producing the first harvestable yield, which results in high upfront establishment costs of vineyards. Young vines can also experience numerous biotic and abiotic stresses limiting their growth and time to maturity. Little research has been conducted to advance grapevine nursery production and controlled environment technology can be utilized to improve transplants. To enhance grapevine nursery production, we developed Precise Indoor Vine Conditioning (PIVC), a proof of concept system where bareroot vines can be grown in a controlled environment greenhouse and treated with supplemental light. Our results found that dry mass was 39% and 79% higher for ‘Concord’ and 46% and 92% higher for ‘Traminette’ grown under medium and high supplemental light compared to the control. The number of clusters or observed bud fruitfulness was increased by 25% and 39% under medium and high supplemental light. Economic analysis of PIVC revealed that variety and region have a strong impact on production system profitability and that the use of PIVC vines can be more profitable than conventional systems for certain region x cultivar combinations. In addition, experiments on the effect of container size were evaluated to optimize PIVC and understand impacts on growth and morphology. Container size can restrict root growth but may be cultivar dependent. While leaf function including photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance were unaffected by container size, chlorophyll was lower in smaller containers and may be used as a measure of potential root restriction. PIVC can be used to enhance young grapevines during nursery production to increase size and fruiting capacity prior to transplanting in the vineyard. This can establish early yields and increase returns for growers reducing the high establishment costs of vineyards.