Dendro-Viticultural applications: A note

Abstract

Twenty cross-sectional grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) samples were used to explore the utility of using dendrochronological techniques to verify and reliably estimate vine age, and to determine the level of annual growth variability among vines for potential viticultural adoption. The annual xylem-growth rings from the study-site samples were easily discernable, and cross-sectional growth patterns were significantly associated among the samples. Samples from the site also revealed distinct pointer years, indicating a homogeneous environmental growth response. The impetus for the adoption of dendrochronological-based vineyard measurements is to increase the understanding of the relationships between climate and environmental variability on vine growth, and the associated effects on crop yields, to ultimately improve vineyard management methods and yields, and therefore enhance profitability.