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GRAPE
(VITIS VINIFERA)
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Grape is one of the most remunerative crop of the present times.The total area in A.P. is about 1765 Ha with an annual production of 85865 Tonnes.It is mainly grown in Rangareddy, Chittoor,Ananthpur and Mahbubnagar.In Anantapur two crops in a year could be harvested due to favorable climatic conditions. SEASON AND CLIMATE The main cropping season in A.P. is February-April.Warm and dry weather is ideal for grapes.It is grown successfully in our country at a temperature range from 150C to 400C and a rainfall of 50 to 60 cm.There should be clear weather about 3-4 months during cropping period.Cloudy weather , high humidity low temperature and rain during flowering and berry development are deterimental as they are congenial to the spread of the diseases. The soils should be well drained.It grows well at pH range from 6.5 to 7.5. The red soils of Telangana(called 'Chalka')red Soils and Black loamy soils with more of coarse fraction are ideal for grape.Sticky soils should be avoided. VARIETIESAnab-E-Shahi, Thompsan seed-less.(Kishmish,Bedana)Other varieties Kali Sahebi,Bangalore Blue, Gulabi, Dilkush, Tas-A-Ganesh, Ragina Kishmish Charni, Kishmish, Rozoviz. PROPAGATIONIt is propagated by stem cuttings.Matured canes from productive vines should be selected preferably from October prunings .Ideal canes are those which are medium in vigour i.e. 0.7 to 0.8 cms.In diameter with internodal length of 8 to 10 cm.Cuttings of about 25 to 30 cm. size with 4 to 5 nodes are selected and they are planted in well prepared flat beds having 2 nodes above the soil surface.The rooted cuttings will be ready for planting in about 3 months. SPACINGAnab-E-Shahi 4.5 x 4.5 m (500 pl/ha) Thompson seedless 3 x 3 m (1,112 pl/ha) PLANTINGThe planting of rooted cutting should be taken up only after erection of "Pandal" or bower.One month in advance to planting ,pits of 90 cm x 90 x 90 cm. are dug and allowed to dry.While digging the top half-depth of the soil is seperated,heaped and same trash maybe burnt before filling.The top soil is mixed with 80 Kg. of farm yard manure.5 Kg. of Castor cake and 3 Kg. of Super Phosphate and pit is filled with mixture.After filling, water is given to pits.The soil in the pit will sink and it should be filled with some more mixture to make it to ground level.The rooted cuttings are planned in pits without causing damage to roots.The best time for planting is October. TRAININGThis is very important operation in grapes.It helps to maintain the form and spread of the vine which facilitates to carry on operations like prunning,intercultivation spraying and harvesting.There are many system of training.The common system in India are bower,Kniffin,telephone,trellis and head system.Under Hyderabad climatic conditions the performance of the commercial varieties Anab-E-Shahi and Thompson seedless is excellent when trained on bower. BOWER SYSTEMIn this system a bower of 2.1 m height is erected using stone pillars as supports and galvanised iron wire of 8 and 10 guage thickness for mesh.One vigorous growing shoot is selected by nipping off other shoots and this single shoot is allowed to grow up straight with the support of bamboo or plastic wire stake.Cut off all the axillary shoots and the main growing shoot is pinched off at 15 cm.below the pendal level.Tow shoots arising from below the cut are allowed to grow in opposite direction on the wires overhead.These two shoots develop into main Arms.On the main arms side shoots are allowed to grow at regular intervals of 40 to 45 cm. apart.These side shoots are called secondaries and tertiaries or canes from which fruiting spurs develop.The arms and secondaries form the permanent frame work of the vine.The main arm should be trained towards East and West direction so as to reduce damage due to sunburn during summer months especially after February-March pruning.The entire space allocated for each vine is covered in instalments by intermitant pinching of the primary arms and secondaries not allowing them to grow more than 60 cm. at a time.As they grow the shoots are tied with jute twine and all tendrils are removed. PRUNINGPruning is a vital operation in grapes .Removal of any Vegetative part is called pruing.It is done to concentrate the activity of vine in the parts left after pruning and to induce sprouting of the fruitful buds located in the middle portion of canes.In A.P.,grape vines are pruned twice in a year once in summer after harvest of crop i.e.Februray-April and again in winter September to October.In summer canes are pruned 1 to 2 buds for vegetative growth.The fruit bud differentiation takes place on these shoots 40 to 60 days after pruning. WINTER PRUNINGVines which are about one year old can be subjected to this pruning.All the mature current season canes are pruned and immature canes and leaves should be completely removed.The level of pruning differs with the variety Anab-E-Shahi 4 to 6 buds and Thompson seedless 8 to 12 buds depending upon the thickness of canes.If the cane is thicker more number of buds and in thinner canes less no.of buds are retained.In winter pruning the weather should be clear. MANURES & FERTILIZERSAt the time of planting about 75 tonnes of cattle manure 5 tonnes of caster cake and 2 1/2 tonnes of super phosphate per hectare are applied.After the vine has grown for 3-4 weeks it is given an application of 100 to 150 g of Ammonium sulphate and 250g of caster cake every month during the first six months after planting.The quantities of fertilizer applied from 2nd year onwards are given in table-2.
IRRIGATION Fully grown up vine requires about 1000 lits of water in winter and 2,000 lit in summer season immediately after pruning and application of fertilizer,vines are given 2 to 3 summer irrigation at 3-4 days interval.In winter,irrigation is to be given when the top 5 cm. soil (8 to 10 days) is dry while in summer 3.5 cm.top goes dry (4-5 days).During berry development stage irrigations are given at weekly intervals and water is withheld 10 days before harvesting to improve quality. INTER CULTIVATIONThe vineyard should be kept clean,free from weed growth.Usually a shallow digging of 8 to 10 cms.depth is done once in 15 to 20 days interval with spade by manual labour and weeds hand picked. PINCHING OF SHOOTSDuring summer,on back pruned spurs more than 3 to 4 new shoots may be seen growing .Pinchoff weak shoots and allow to grow one or two vigorous shoots.When such shoots grow to a metre length the tips are to be pinched off and tendrills are removed.Pinching encourages the growth of sub-canes in Anab-E-Shahi which are more fruitful.Checking the growth by tipping helps in many ways i.e. it provides more light ,early cane maturity and leaves become less susceptible to anthracnose disease after the onset of monsoon.Spraying of 50 ppm Uracil 45 days after summer pruning increase the bud fertility. IMPROVING SIZE AND QUALITY OF BUNCHESThe fruit size and quality of Thompson seedless can be improved by use of growth regulators like gibberilic acid.The bunches are dipped in G.A. 60 ppm solution at cap fall or decapping stage.The yield of this variety is increased by 30% with gibberlic acid. HARVESTING AND PACKINGGrapes are harvested when they are fully ripe on the vine itself as there will not be any further ripening of berries after harvest.Time taken from fruit set to ripening depends on the variety,crop load on the vine and atmospheric temperature .The bunch is ready for harvest when lower most berry of the bunch is soft and sweet.On ripening white grapes turn to amber colour while the coloured ones attain characteristic uniform colour with ashy bloom.Seeds of the ripened berries become dark brown.The bunches are packed in wooden or card board boxes or bamboo/stacked baskets.The paper strips are use to avoid the damage to berries. USESGrapes are fairly good source of minerals like Calcium,Phosphorous and Iron.The juice is mild laxative and acts as a stimulant to kidneys. PESTS & DISEASESCock Chaffer Beetles : (Penku Purugu) Beetles appear soon after monsoon shower,feed on leaf lamina leaving only midrib,severe cases defoliate the vine. Control : Endosulphan 2 ml/lit. or Quinalphos 2 ml/lit. Flea beetles : (Chitta purugu) Heavy damage to sprouting buds after winter pruning.Beetles feed on tender shoots and leaves. Control :Quinalphos 2 ml/lit.,Phosphamidon 100%,EC. Mealy Bugs : (Pindi Purugu) Both nymphs and adult suck cell sap from plant parts and berries; affected parts coated with sticky honey over which sooty mould develops,affected shoots malformed and quality of bunch much affected. Control : Dip infested bunches in Dichlorovos 100% E.C.@ 2ml\l with 10 gm. of fish oil rosin soap.Release predators such as Cryptolaemus sp. Grapevine Borer : (Kandum toluchu purugu)The adult beetles lay eggs on bark of trunks or arms by making a slit on bark,grubs make tunnel in the stems and weaken the vine. Control : Mechanical removal of grubs in June-August.Insert 1/2 tablet of Aluminium phosphide into holes and plug to kill the grubs. DISEASES 1.Anthracnose : Small circular spots with greyish black centre and yellow margins are formed.On tendrils and shoots circular light brown and slightly sunken spots are produced. Control : Cut off all infected plant parts.Spray Bordeaux mixture 1% or Bavistin 1 gm/lit,Carbandazim 1 gm/lit. Dowmy mildew : (Plasmopara viticola) On Fruits small light pale yellow spots appear on upper surface and whitish downy growth on lower side.In severe case the entire leaf is affected,turn brown and later drop off fruit becomes greyish,hard and often mummified. Control : Collect infested leaves,shoots,berries etc. and destroy.Spray Bordeux mixture 1% or Foltaf 0.1 to 0.2% or system fungicides,Ridomil 25% WP 0.1 to 0.2%. Podery Mildew : (Budida Tegulu)White powdery patches are found on the upper surface of tender leaves.In severe case entire leaf is covered with powder like substance and leaf become discoloured,stems become grey and then turn dark brown,on fruit whitish growth appears which results in discolouration,cracking of fruit or shedding of fruits. Control : Remove affected plant parts and destroy , dust sulphur 10-15 Kg/ha.Spray Wettable sulphur 0.4% or Carbendazim 0.1% or Karathane 0.05%. |
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