Pruning of Sultana Vines to Long Spurs

Sultana vines were pruned to similar node numbers distributed either over 6-node spurs and two 12-node canes or over 12-node canes only. They produced similar amounts of fruit of similar sugar content over a seven-year period. Consequently, three new pruning methods called Cane-Spur, Split Cordon, and Hedge were evolved where Sultana vines were partly or entirely pruned to spurs instead of canes. Vines pruned by any of these three methods yielded equally as well as, or better than, cane-pruned vines while the time needed for pruning was reduced by up to 75%. In the Cane-Spur system, two two-year-old canes with mechanically pruned spurs and two one-year-old canes alternate on the two sides of each vine from season to season. Pruning-time is reduced by about 50%. In the Split Cordon, each vine carries one bilateral cordon with fruiting spurs of about six nodes and one cordon with non-fruiting, two-year-old spurs of, at most, two nodes. The two types of spurs alternate from season to season between the cordons. They are pruned mechanically, leading to complete mechanization of Sultana pruning. For Hedge, vines are also mechanically pruned, to long spurs of uncontrolled length, by making vertical and horizontal cuts. The possibilities are discussed of harvesting by machine the grapes, used for winemaking or drying, that are produced by vines pruned according to these methods.