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Growers in California’s San Joaquin Valley produced >25% of the world’s raisins in 2012, with a farm-gate value of >$590 million, making the United States the leading global producer of raisins. California’s traditional raisin-making method is a laborious process in which clusters of grapes (Vitis vinifera) are harvested by hand onto paper trays, which are left in the vineyard to dry. The drying fruit may need to be turned or rolled, tasks requiring manual labor, and the trays of dried raisins are also picked up by hand. Most California raisins continue to be made in this way, but in recent years, the declining availability and increasing cost of labor has prompted many growers to implement one of two mechanized production systems, “continuous tray” (CT) or “dry-on-vine” (DOV). In CT systems, machines are used to pick the berries, lay them onto a tray, and pick up the dried raisins. The CT system could be considered a short-term strategy: it is compatible with existing conventional ‘Thompson Seedless’ raisin vineyards and has been widely adopted. The DOV system could be considered a medium-term strategy: it is best suited for vineyards specifically designed for DOV, with early ripening grapevine cultivars on expansive trellis systems, which ensures timely drying, and capitalizes on the fact that sunlit row middles are not needed for fruit drying. Grapevine breeding programs are currently working toward the development of raisin grape cultivars with fruitful basal nodes, with fruit that dry naturally upon ripening. This is a long-term strategy to further reduce labor needs by enabling mechanical pruning in winter and eliminating the need for cane severance in the summer.

Using the rotating cross-arm (RCA) trellis and cane training system, lateral canes of trailing ‘Siskiyou’ blackberry (genus Rubus subgenus Rubus) were kept vertically or rotated down to horizontal so that plant canopy was close to the ground. In winter, the plots were either covered with a non-woven rowcover (RC) or left uncovered. Cane injury was least in plants with lateral canes oriented horizontally and covered. Cane injury was high in plants with lateral canes oriented vertically in winter, whether covered or not, and among plants with lateral canes laid close to the ground but not covered. Among ‘Siskiyou’ plants that had lateral canes oriented horizontally, 280 flower clusters and 6.0 kg fruit/plant were produced on plants that had a RC in the winter compared with only 72 flower clusters and 1.7 kg fruit/plant for plants that were not covered in winter, in 2009. Fewer flower clusters developed and the yield was ≤2 kg/plant on plants with lateral canes oriented vertically. Yield differences between the most and least productive treatments were low in 2010 because of milder winter conditions and snowfall during the coldest periods that fully or partially covered the lateral canes oriented horizontally and close to the ground. The RC treatment had no effect on cane injury or yield when lateral canes were oriented vertically. The findings suggested that ‘Siskiyou’ blackberry can be grown in the eastern United States, where winter injury has frequently caused a crop failure, by positioning the lateral canes close to the ground and covering plants with a RC.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. Vitis rotundifilia, economic analysis, irrigation, trellis systems SUMMARY. This study estimates and compares the production costs and profitability of muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifilia) production under the single-wire (SW) and the Geneva double curtain (GDC) trellis systems with and without drip irrigation. Profitability analysis revealed that muscadine grape production can be a profitable venture. Irrigated muscadine grape vineyards were shown to be more profitable than nonirrigated vineyards. The comparison of the GDC trellis system and the SW trellis system indicates that the GDC trellis system is more profitable. Returns to land and management from muscadine grapes grown under the GDC systemwere foundto beless sensitiveto changes in prices and yieldsthanthe returns from muscadine grapes grown under the SW trellis system. Net returns from irrigatedsystems were alsofoundto beless sensitiveto variations inprices and yields than nonirrigated systems. The estimated total costs of establishing (Years 0‐3) a muscadine grape vineyard were between $9783/acre and $15,065/acre depending on the production system used. For the GDC production system, which was the most profitable production system, the estimated return to land and management was $447/acre. Cash flow analysis demonstrated that the payback period for this system can be achieved in the 10th year, whereas the net present value of the investment was estimated at $4484 and the internal rate of return was estimated at 9.6%.

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. DOV, dried vine fruit, grapes, Vitis vinifera SUMMARY. ‘Diamond Muscat’, ‘DOVine’, ‘Fiesta’, and ‘Selma Pete’ grapevines (Vitis vinifera) were evaluated to determine their suitability for making dry-on-vine (DOV) raisins on an open-gable trellis. The experiment was a split-plot, with training system, head, bilateral, or quadrilateral cordons as the main plot, and grapevine cultivar (Diamond Muscat, DOVine, Fiesta, or Selma Pete) as the subplot. Yield components, fruit composition, and raisin yield and quality were evaluated annually. Vine training style did not affect fruit composition, or raisin yield or quality, but vines trained to quadrilateral cordons produced more clusters on renewal shoots than head-trained vines. ‘DOVine’, ‘Fiesta’, and ‘Selma Pete’ produced about 4.75 tons/acre of raisins, 10% more than ‘Diamond Muscat’. ‘Diamond Muscat’ vines produced the most clusters on renewal shoots, an undesirable trait, and the most clusters per vine. ‘Fiesta’ matured later than the other cultivars, therefore it had the lowest soluble solids, the poorest raisin grades, and the highest field moisture at harvest. ‘Selma Pete’ grapes matured as early, or earlier, than the grapes of other cultivars, they had among the highest soluble solids and raisin grades, and the raisins generally dried well. Thus, ‘Selma Pete’ grapevines had the best overall performance of the cultivars tested.

A major research thrust of the University of Arkansas Enology and Viticulture Program for the past 37 years has been the development of a total vineyard mechanization system. This new system allows the mechanization of almost all practices in vineyard operations, including dormant and summer pruning, leaf removal, shoot and fruit thinning, canopy management, and harvesting while fruit quality is maintained or enhanced. Research efforts aimed to accomplish these tasks on the 12 major trellising systems used throughout the industry and to derive plans for the sequencing and timing of operations on each of the trellis systems. In 2002, the University of Arkansas patented the Morris-Oldridge Vineyard Mechanization System (M-O System). OXBO International Corp., Clear Lake, WI, purchased the patent and market M-O System components under the name Korvan™ Vineyard System. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mechanized (machine-farmed) pruning, shoot thinning, and fruit thinning using the M-O System vs. traditional methods of canopy management using hand labor (hand-farmed) in a commercial Vitis vinifera vineyard in the central coast region of California. V. vinifera cultivars evaluated included Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, and Syrah trellised on a lyre system and Merlot, Zinfandel, and Sangiovese trellised on a vertical shoot-positioned (VSP) system. Yield, fruit growth, fruit composition, wine quality, wine sensory attributes, and economics of mechanization were evaluated on machine- and hand-farmed grapes. Mechanized studies were initiated at French Camp Vineyards, Santa Margarita, CA, in 2002. French Camp Vineyards used a balanced cropping concept which incorporated three operations: 1) machine dormant pruning, 2) machine shoot thinning, and 3) machine fruit thinning. Results of research from 2002 to 2005 showed that yield and quality characteristics of machine-farmed grapes were not statistically different from those of hand-farmed grapes for the V. vinifera cultivars in this study. Wines from each cultivar and treatment were produced at a commercial winery and after appropriate aging, were sensory-evaluated by a professional wine analysis service. Few sensory differences were found between wines from the two farming systems. Further objective analyses of the wine components showed no commercially practical differences. In 2006, cost estimates were derived for the three vineyard activities necessary to achieve balanced cropping. Use of machine farming for balanced cropping operations resulted in savings over hand farming of 45% on the lyre trellis, 49% on the VSP system, and 62% on the quadrilateral trellis for the operations studied. Studies of mechanization of vineyard activities using the M-O System to achieve balanced cropping have shown that grapes and their wines were equivalent to those obtained using hand labor for these operations with the added benefit of cost savings for the operations evaluated.

Production and quality of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) fruit were evaluated in a passively ventilated greenhouse, in soilless media trellised to a “V” system (two-stempruned plants) or the “Spanish” system (nonpruned plants) in flat bags or nursery pot containers; and densities of 1.5, 1.9, 3.0, and 3.8 plants/m2 (0.14, 0.18, 0.28, and 0.35 plants/ft2), in a winter-to-summer-crop in Gainesville, Fla. The trellis systems did not affect total marketable fruit yields but production of extra-large fruit was higher (38%) in non-pruned than in pruned plants. Marketable fruit yields were similar in plants grown in bags and pots, and had positive linear responses to increased plant density. Not pruning reduced by half the percentage of fruit with blossom-end rot. Pruned plants produced 50% fewer flower bud supporting nodes than non-pruned plants but had a greater percentage of fruit set. Regardless of trellis systems, fruit set per plant decreased linearly as plant density increased. Overall, the “Spanish” trellis system at a density of 3.8 plants/m2 resulted in greater yields of extra-large fruit and required 75% less labor than the “V” system to prune and support the plant canopy.

Burpless cucumbers are listed in many seed catalogs as being milder in taste (or easier on the digestion) than the american slicing type. It has been suggested by researchers that burpless cucumbers 1) contain less of a burp-causing compound, 2) are genetically bitterfree, or 3) are just the marketing term for oriental trellis cucumbers sold in the U.S. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether oriental trellis cucumbers cause less burping when eaten, and whether they are genetically bitterfree. An american slicer (`Marketmore 76'), a bitterfree slicer (`Marketmore 80'), and a burpless oriental trellis slicer (`Tasty Bright') were compared. Burpiness of the fruit was determined in the field in two seasons (spring and summer) and two replications. Six judges were grouped into burp-susceptible and burp-resistant. They evaluated the cultivars over two harvests by eating a 4-inch (100-mm) length of one fruit of the three cultivars (in random order) on three consecutive days. Burpiness was rated 0 to 9 (0 = none, 1 to 3 = slight, 4 to 6 = moderate, 7 to 9 = severe). Bitterness of the plants was determined (using different judges) by tasting one cotyledon of six seedlings per cultivar. Cotyledon bitterness is an indicator of plant bitterness; bitterfree plants lack cucurbitacins, and have mild-tasting fruit. Results of taste tests indicated that burpiness ratings were not significantly differentfor burp resistant judges. However, oriental trellis cucumbers were slightly but significantly milder than american slicers for judges susceptible to burping. `Marketmore 76' and `Tasty Bright' were normal-bitter, and `Marketmore 80' was bitterfree. An additional 11 oriental trellis cultivars were also tested for bitterness to determine whether Tasty Bright was typical in bitterness; they were all normal-bitter. In conclusion, oriental trellis cucumbers are not bitterfree, but are slightly milder for burp-susceptible people to eat. Finally, burpless is the marketing term for oriental trellis cucumbers in the United States.

There is increased interest in growing blackberries in the United States for the fresh fruit market. For fresh market blackberry production, >350 h/acre (900 h·ha-1) of work is required to hand pick blackberries over a season that lasts 5 weeks with harvest every 2 days. Existing bramble mechanical harvesters can detach fruit from plants trained on a vertically oriented I trellis and harvest more cheaply than when harvested by hand, but the harvested fruit does not have fresh-market quality. We developed a cane training and trellis system for semierect blackberries to orient canes horizontally with the fruit positioned below the canes. Also, we developed an over-the-row mechanical harvester that uses vibrating nylon rods on a drum to shake fruit from horizontally trained canes onto a moving fruit-catching surface directly under the canopy to minimize impact damage to fruit. A new trellis design, new cane training practices, and new harvesting technologies have allowed fruit to be removed efficiently and be acceptable for fresh-market sales. This production system has been evaluated economically and appears to be profitable. It could overcome the high cost of handpicking, which has limited the expansion of fresh-market blackberries.

A 2-year field study was conducted in two locations in the Dominican Republic to determine the influence of various support systems and nitrogen fertilization programs on passion fruit (Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa) yield and economic returns. Three trellis systems were used: 1) single line, where a single wire was placed along the planting rows at 2 m high; 2) double lines, where two wires were established along the planting rows at 2 and 1 m high, respectively; and 3) crossed lines, with wires at 2 m high, allowing the vines to grow both along and across the planting rows. Nitrogen (N) fertilization rates were 13, 26, and 52 g/plant of N every 20 days. Plants trained with the single- and double-line support systems combined with 52 g/plant of N had higher marketable yield and had the lowest proportion of non-marketable fruit/plant per year. Partial budget analysis indicated that the single-line support system had a marginal return rate of 36% compared to the double-line support system.

Functional leaf area is the basis for vineyard productivity. Therefore, the leaf area displayed on a trellis will determine the productive potential of a vineyard. A device that uses a series of infrared sensors was constructed to quantify vineyard trellis fill. A vertical row of sensors on a moving over-the-row vineyard trailer recorded the interception of infrared light beams through the trellis. These values were related to the total time of measurement to calculate a percentage of trellis fill. Our device was used to quantify differences among training systems applied to `Chardonnay' grapevines. This system is quick, easy, and at least as accurate as currently used visual methods. This technique should be useful for determining the influence of various cultural practices on the development of grapevine canopies.

Apple packout audits were conducted during 1991 to 1993 to assess effects of five orchard systems (three cultivars, two age groups) on fruit packout and determine if relationships exist between light quality and productivity. Cultivar/rootstock combinations on 1979 T-trellis and central-leader systems had the lowest light levels and relative yields. Trees on either 1979 3-wire trellis, 1986 MIA, or 1985 West Virginia spindle had the highest light transmission, and trees on 1979 or 1985 West Virginia spindle systems had the highest yields. Extra fancy/fancy packouts across systems ranged from 40% to 85%. `Empire', regardless of system, had the highest packouts, and `Golden Delicious' on 1979 or 1986 central leader had the lowest packouts. A regression analysis comparing percentage packout in grades below fancy to percentage full sun indicated that reduced packouts were related to low light conditions. Orchard system influenced the number of fruit downgraded due to color, russet, bruises, bitter pit, cork spot, apple scab, rots, sooty blotch/fly speck, and tufted apple budmoth. Regression analyses comparing defects to field data indicated that bitter pit decreased as yield efficiency increased, and rot and sooty blotch/fly speck incidence were related to low canopy light penetration. Revenue losses were disproportionate to percentage of downgraded fruit because some defects had a greater impact on grade than others. The greatest revenue losses were for russet in `Golden Delicious' on 1986 central leader ($1656.60/acre) and for bitter pit in `Golden Delicious' on 1979 T-trellis ($1067.30/acre). Total losses in returns for individual systems ranged from $453.71/acre for `Empire' on 3-wire trellis to $3145.49/acre for `Golden Delicious' on 1986 central leader. The comparisons of young versus mature system yields and packouts indicate that medium- to high-density vertical or inclined canopy systems are superior to horizontal or low-density vertical freestanding systems. The cost-benefit analyses prescribe areas where management can be changed in existing systems to increase profitability.

Eighteen cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cultivars (15 oriental trellis and three standard American slicers) were grown on trellis and flat-bed production systems during the spring and summer seasons of 1995. Vine, flower, fruit quality, keeping ability, and yield traits were measured. Vine length, incidence of powdery mildew, fruit shape, fruit quality, fruit firmness, yield of Fancy plus No. 1 grade slicer fruits, marketable yield, and percentage of culled fruits were all higher when cultivars were grown on trellis support. Anthracnose damage, fruit length, fruit diameter, average fruit mass, fruit color, overall impression, fruit shriveling, seedcell size, branch number, percentage of staminate nodes, and total yield were not significantly affected by production system. The best cultivars for marketable yield (mass of Fancy, No. 1 and 2 grade slicers) were `Summer Top', `Tasty Bright', and `Sprint 440' on trellis support and `Sprint 440' and `Poinsett 76' on flat bed. The cultivars with the best fruit quality were `Tasty Bright', `Summer Top', and `Sprint 440' on trellis and `Poinsett 76', `Sprint 440', and `Tasty Bright' on flat bed. The best cultivars overall on the trellis production system were `Sprint 440', `Summer Top', `Tasty Bright', and `89-211', and the worst were `Sky Horse', `Hongzhou Green 55', and `Fengyan'. The best cultivars overall on the flat bed were `Poinsett 76', `Sprint 440', and `89-211', while the worst cultivars were `Sky Horse' and `Hongzhou Green 55'.