A- EFFECT OF CANE LENGTH ON BUD BEHAVIOR, YIELD, BUNCH CHARACTERISTICS, WOOD RIPENING AND CHEMICAL CONTENTS OF EARLY SUPERIOR GRAPEVINES.

This investigation was carried out in a private vineyard located at Madenet EI
Sad at, Menofya Governorate on five years old trees of Early Superior grapevines. The
study was conducted for two successive seasons 2001 and 2002. Vines were
trained according to cane system, with different number of canes (5, 6, 7, 9
canes/vine) and different number of buds (14, 12, 10, 8 buds/cane). Number of
buds/vine being fixed at 70-72 buds, in addition to the renual spure buds per each
level of cane length.
The results showed that, the period of bud burst lasted about 3-4 weeks
(from the mid of February till the first week of March). Regardless cane length
treatments, the percentage of the bursted buds showed a gradual increase all along
the period of bud burst activity. The percentage of buds burst increased with
increasing cane length to 14 buds/cane, while the fruitful buds percantage and
fertility coefficient were increased at cane length 12, 10 buds/cane. The treatment of 8
buds/cane followed by treatment 10 buds/cane showed a significant increase in
shoot length, leaf number, leaf area and pruning wood weight. Vines with treatments
(12 & 10 buds/cane) gave greater number of bunches and higher yield per vine than
vines with longer and shorter canes. Vines, with cane length 8 buds/cane followed by
treatment with 10 and 12 buds/cane gave the greatest bunch, rachis weight, number
of berries/bunch, weight and size of berry. T.S.S and T.S.S/acid ratio were increased
at the short cane length, while acidity was decreased. The process of wood maturity
on the resulting shoots was obviously slowed by increasing cane length, wood
ripening gradually advanced in all treatments till November. Increasing the cane
length decreased total carbohydrates and total nitrogen of wood pruning.