Vineyard Training Systems

Untrellised

Bush/free standing vine is the oldest and cheapest way to plant a vineyard.
Vine trunk trained short with no trellis, usually spur-pruned (bush vine/goblet) or cane-pruned (basket).

Advantages:

Low cost for implementation and canopy maintenance
Foliage offers bunch shade

Disadvantages:

Low yields, due to low density planting
Lower disease resistance, due to reduced air circulation
Requires manual labour for vineyard operations

_Staked Vines

Usually a wooden post driven into the ground next to the vine, which is tied to it for support. Normally trained to form a crown (head) 20-30cm above the ground, fixing 2/4 canes to the stake. Or spur-pruned, without distinct crown, with bearers radiating from the trunk in a circular shape.

Advantages:

Low cost for implementation and canopy maintenance
Possible train higher than bush vines, makes operations easier
Canopy can be positioned for higher disease resistance

Disadvantages:

Low yields, due to low density planting
Unsuitable for high vigour sites

Single Wire

Simple single wire trellis system, can be cordon trained and spur pruned (trunk divided at 15cm below the wire and a permanent horizontal cordon established) or head trained (established crown below the wire and usually up to 4 canes of 10/15 nodes fixed or wrapped along the wire, with 2-4 node replacement spurs)

Advantages:

Relatively inexpensive to install and train
Forms a continuous row of foliage

Disadvantages:

New shoots tend to hang down, unprotecting fruit from sunburn

Two wire, vertical

Most basic multi-wired trellis system also known as California sprawl. A single fruiting wire with a single foliage wire 0.3-0.5m above.

Advantages:

Better support for shoots avoiding hanging down

Disadvantages:

Not suited for high potential sites/high vegetative growth which will need more wires to keep the excessive foliage off the ground and aid canopy management operations.

Vertical shoot positioning (VSP)

A non-divided canopy made with movable foliage wires enabling shots to be trained into a narrow vertical canopy. Vines can be cane-pruned (Guyot) or spur-pruned on unilateral or bilateral cordons.

Advantages:

Uniformly trained shoots, dividing fruit and shoot tips in 2 zones
Simplifies mechanical operations
Vines can be machine harvested
Mechanical Winter pruning is possible with adaptations

Disadvantages:

High shoot density prone to shade

Geneva Double Curtain (GDC)

Horizontal divided trellis with shoots trained downwards. Curtains are supported at the top and are free hanging, being at least 1m apart, shoots at least 1 m in length.
System designed specifically to improve yield and fruit composition in vigorous soils, is normally spur pruned and harvested by machine.

Advantages

Divided canopy/downward shoots - reduced shading/increased sunlight exposure of basal buds and fruit
Produces higher yields of better quality grapes
Causes desirable shoot de-invigoration
Converts dense shaded canopies to low density, with 50% larger yields than VSP

Disadvantages

High material cost
High expertise demand to train the vines

U-shaped or Lyre trellis

A U-system trellis is horizontally divided with shoots trained upwards in two curtains with a shape resembling a lyre. Suitable to cool, medium to high vigour sites.

Advantages:

Improved yield and grape quality due to open canopy
Very adapted to machinery operations, pre-pruning and harvest

Disadvantages:

Labour demanding, the U centre must be kept open to ensure good leaf/fruit exposure, shoots must be positioned correctly and continually trimmed
High construction/maintenance cost

Scott-Henry

A system with two fruiting wires, one at 1 m, with shoots rained downwards using one foliage wire, and the other at 1.15m trained up between two pairs of moveable foliage wires. The divided canopy is 2m high and forms rows spaced by at least to metres to avoid shading. Developed for cane pruning.

Advantages:

Increased canopy surface (60%), perfect for photosynthesis/yield
Low shoot density
Increased fruit exposure
Decreased disease incidence
De-invigorating effect, as half the shoots are trained down

Disadvantages:

High establishment costs
High expertise demands for workers responsible for training