Physiology of Minimal versus Normal Pruning of Concord Grapes

With the economic pressures for high yields and production efficiency, there has been increasing use of the method of minimal or mechanical pruning due to its reduced inputs and higher yields. Yet, many times the yields on minimally-pruned vines may be too high for the juice Brix and quality required by the industry. Since this production method changes many of the basic relationships we have developed over decades for conventionally pruned vines, we need to understand the bases of these differences in a systematic way in order to optimize management.