IMPACT OF TRAINING SYSTEM AND VINE SPACING ON VINE PERFORMANCE AND BERRY COMPOSITION OF SEYVAL-BLANC

Own-rooted Seyval blanc vines were subjected to five training treatmen ts [Geneva Double Curtain (GDC); Hudson River Umbrella (HRU); 6-arm Kn iffin (6AK); midwire cordon (MWC); Y-trellis (YT)] and three vine spac ings (1.4, 1.8, and 2.4 m). Weight of cane prunings (vine size) was lo west in GDC vines and was most optimal in HRU, 6AK, and MWC systems. I ncreasing vine spacing decreased vine size linearly on a per meter of row basis. Yields of divided canopies (GDC and YT) averaged 42% higher than single curtain systems, but cluster weights, berries per cluster , and berry weights were lower. The GDC system produced fruit with low est degreeBrix, but also with lowest titratable acidity (TA) and pH an d the least percentage of bunch rot. Vine spacing reduced yield linear ly with increasing spacing, but it had a limited influence on fruit co mposition.