Wine Grape nutrition advice

How nutrient management can affect wine grapes

Browse the complete list of all the wine grape articles pages to see how crop nutrition affects wine grape yield, quality, health or effect on the environment and see the roles of different nutrients.

Influencing wine grape yield

High wine grape yields are obtained on the most freely drained soils where water is not limiting. Vines will grow across a wide range of soil pHs, but extremes will render many nutrients unavailable and thereby restrict yield. Physical or nutritional manipulation of the vine to allow light into the canopy will ensure maximum growth potential and high yields.

Increasing wine grape berry size

A balanced fertilizer programme is important to increase wine grape berry size.

Increasing Wine Grape Berry Set and Weight

Nitrogen and phosphorus impact on wine grape berry set and weight. Correct application of these nutrients can increase these characteristics.

Improving wine grape quality

The aim of any grower is a high yielding, top quality wine grape that satisfies the wine-maker.

Influencing wine grape colour

Growing temperature and grape variety are the major factors that influence the wine’s eventual colour.

Managing wine grape sweetness

The amount of sugar in wine grape influences potential alcohol content after fermentation, and the amount of residual sugars remaining in the wine.

Influencing Total Acidity (TA) in Wine Grape

A certain level of acidity is considered important to the taste of any wine.

Nitrogen compounds in the wine grape must

The total nitrogen content of wine grapes as well as the relative distribution of nitrogen compounds influences the production of yeast biomass and fermentation rate.

Wine grape health

Grapes need to be free of the different disorders and rots in order to meet market requirements. The extent of these varies according to environmental conditions, varietal susceptibility and crop nutrition.

Reducing the incidence of fungal diseases

Grapes are subject to attack from a wide range of pests and diseases. Black rot, Botrytis, downy and powdery mildew are all caused by wet weather and if allowed to move from the leaf to the grape can cause considerable wine grape yield loss and quality deterioration.

Minimising bunch stem necrosis in wine grape

Bunch stem necrosis (waterberry) in wine grape affects fruit set and fruit ripening. It can occur around the bloom, in which case it is called early bunch stem necrosis, at veraison or later. The occurrence of it is associated to weather conditions and crop nutrition.

Reduce the level of Merlot disorder

Young vines with high levels of nitrate in the tissue often die or remain unproductive throughout the life of the vine. The disorder is known as ‘Merlot Disorder’. Symptoms of “Merlot disorder” are smaller leaves than usual, leaf-edge burn, poor leaf color and the wood fails to mature. Application of molybdenum significantly reduced the level of disorder.