Weekly Vineyard Update

 Hello Dear Readers, and welcome to the weekend!

I wanted to give you a quick update this week as we proceed with harvest. Below is the precipitation, GDD and phenological information from the Kentville Research Centre.

Table 1.  Precipitation totals for the Kentville Research and Development Centre by month.

Month	25-Year Average (mm)	Current Year (mm)
April	81.5	54.0
May	74.0	29.8
June	95.5	83.0
July	81.3	201.7
August	94.5	30.1
September	104.1	65.5**
October	115.8

**Up to September 19, 2024

Table 2. Growing degree days up to September 19, 2024. All temperature data were recorded at the Kentville Research and Development Centre.

Single sine degree days, base of 0 °C starting on April 1		Growing degree days, base of 10 °C starting on April 1
Current Year	10-Year Average	Current Year	10-Year Average
2702.8	2604.17	1143.1	1043.2

 

Table 3. Phenological stages of three varieties of grape by date for the KRDC Research Vineyard. Bud break for all three varieties was between May 18 and May 20, 2024.

Date of Assessment	Marquette	L’Acadie blanc	New York Muscat
19-September	Berries not quite ripe	Berries harvest ripe	Berries harvest ripe

 

Table 4. Post-veraison brix and acid values of three varieties of grape, by date, for the KRDC Research Vineyard. TA is the total acidity expressed in grams per litre and measured by titration using a Hanna (model#  HI 84502) titrator.  Brix is total soluble solids (sugar accumulation) expressed as % and measured with an Atago Digital Hand-Held Pocket Refractometer.

Date of Assessment	Marquette		L’Acadie blanc		New York Muscat
	Brix (%)	TA (g/L)	Brix (%)	TA (g/L)	Brix (%)	TA (g/L)
19-September	23.0	15.6	20.0	12.9	18.6	6.7

My own measurements are below: All samples have been sent to the Acadia Wine Lab for analysis. All samples were harvested and assessed on 17 September 2024.

     Variety               BRIX             TA

L'ACADIE	20	10.25
FRONTENAC  BLANC	20.5	22.41
OSCEOLA  MUSCAT	20.9	12.05
NY MUSCAT	17.8	7.06
CHARDONNAY	17.8	15.35
MARQUETTE	21.5	15.69
PINOT NOIR	17.2	15.44

 

In terms of noting other occurrences in vineyards, I have observed some Late-Season Bunch Stem Necrosis (LBSN).

    

                        

 Marquette

Late-Stage Bunch Stem Necrosis:

Timeline:

The bunch stems shrivel during ripening, followed closely by berry shrivel. 

Cause and Development:

Late-Stage Bunch Stem Necrosis (LBSN) is a physiological problem that happens in response to stresses in the environment (eg: excessive rain, frost, freeze the previous year).  

Stress causes the plant’s xylem (the “veins” of the plant that transports water and nutrients) to shut down in the cluster during ripening. With a dead xylem, water cannot be transported to the rest of the cluster. The bunch stems dry first, followed by the berries drying up as well. This means that developing treatment recommendations is a complex, long-term task that may vary by vineyard.

Please note:

·       Late Stage Bunch Stem Necrosis is NOT a disease, so fungicides are not effective against it.

·       LBSN should not be confused with diseases that cause mummies, such as black rot and bunch rot.

     Other Seasonal Diseases and Pests:

     Please do be on the lookout for Botrytis and Sour Rot especially in the susceptible varieties. As currently observed, there does not appear much damage, but do be vigilant as both affect berry quality, the subsequent fermentation and resulting wine.

Again, I will be on the road next week, so if you would like a visit, please let me know. Monday, I will be in the Malagash Area and Wednesday South Shore.

Thank you all for your time this week, and happy harvest!

Cheers!

Katarina

Sources:

Klodd, Annie. University of Minnesota Extension Service. Grape Breeding and Enology
Tracking Down the Causes of Bunch Stem Necrosis | Grape Breeding and Enology (umn.edu)

Katarina Vucic MSc DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

www.perennia.ca