The combination of increasing production costs, a constrained labour supply and increasing vineyard area all signal a need to explore alternative production systems for producing Sauvignon Blanc. Long spur pruning has shown promise as an alternative to cane pruning for Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough, with the potential for reduced labour inputs at a similar yield and quality. Spur pruning has a greater potential for full automation than cane pruning.
This project looked to compare 2-cordon, long spur pruning as an alternative to cane pruning for Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough and collect data to report on the relative cost of each pruning type and the medium.
