EFFECT OF TRAINING SYSTEM AND FRUITING UNIT LENGTH ON BUD BEHAVIOUR, GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF FLAME SEEDLESS GRAPEVINES

This investigation was conducted for two successive seasons (2006& 2007) to study the effect of training system and fruiting unit length on bud behaviour, growth and productivity of Flame Seedless grapevines. The chosen vines were ten-year-old, grown in a clay loamy soil and irrigated by the drip irrigation system. The vineyard was located at Meniet Samannoud, Dakahlia governorate. Vines were spaced at 2.5 X 3 meters apart, pruned during the second week of February with a load of (40-42 buds/vine) and trellised according to the telephone system. Seventy two uniform vines were chosen. Each four vines acted as a replicate and each three replicates were treated by one of the following treatments: Two training systems were evaluated; the first was cordon training system with three levels of spur length: two, three or four buds per spur, while the second was cane training system with three levels of cane length: six, eight or ten buds per cane.
The results showed that cordon training system gave the best results as compared to cane training system. The spur pruning (2-3 buds/spur) resulted in the highest percentages of bud burst and fruitful buds and coefficient of bud fertility as compared to the cane pruning (6 buds/cane) which recorded the lowest values. In addition, the cordon training system with fruiting unit lengths of 2-3 buds/spur gave the best yield/vine and its components as well as the best physical properties of bunches, improved the physical and chemical characteristics of berries and ensured the best vegetative growth parameters, dynamics of wood ripening, weight of prunings/vine and size of old wood. Total chlorophyll of the leaves and total carbohydrates of the canes were also increased as compared to the cane training system with fruiting unit length of ten buds/cane which gave the lowest values of these parameters.
The economical study indicated that cordon training system with spur pruning for Flame Seedless grapevines gave the highest net income as compared to cane training system with cane pruning.