JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE & SOCIAL SCIENCES 1813–2235/2005/01–2–114–116 http://www.ijabjass.org Cultural Practices for Production Manipulation in Grapes Cv. Anab-e-Shahi WAQAR AHMED 1 , CH. MUHAMMAD AYYUB, M. AZHAR IQBAL, KHURRAM ZIAF† AND MUHAMMAD SHARIF Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad–38040, Pakistan †Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Islamabad–Pakistan 1 Corresponding author’s e-mail: waqar199@hotmail.com ABSTRACT Manipulation of growth for better production through cultural practices was studied in grape cv. Anab-e-Shahi. Shoots were pruned at 15 th or 20 th node. Lateral re-growth was continuously removed until the shoots attained cane maturity. Maximum re- growth (%age) was recorded at terminal nodes i.e. close to the site of pruning in either case. Shoots with less number of nodes had more re-growth (%age) than the shoots with more nodes. Terminal nodes re-grow continuously in both types of shoots. Shoots pruned at 15 th nodes attained more thickness (1.54 cm) than those pruned at 20 th node. Shoots defoliated on different dates after maturation had 1.29-1.44% nitrogen, 0.33-0.50% phosphorous and 2.25-3.61% potassium. Vines failed to bloom although shoots had attained the desired maturity (cane thickness and nutrient status). Key Words: Grapes; Anab-e-Shahi; Production; Pruning; Growth; Vegetative; Reproductive INTRODUCTION The grapes, being the native of warm temperate zone between 34°N and 49°S latitude, require long warm to hot, dry summer and cool winter; the conditions found in Quetta (Balochistan) and some areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. Pakistan is producing 51.8 thousand tons of grapes annually, with an average yield of 19 tonnes/ha against the potential of 25 tonnes/ha (Anonymous, 2004). Production of grapes can be increased by increasing per unit area production. Although, central Punjab has nearly suitable climate for grape cultivation, but “monsoon” rains at the time of berry ripening is the main calamity for the restricted cultivation of grapes in Punjab province. Yet, the production can be manipulated by altering the cultural practices to delay blooming as Beniwal et al. (1989) got two crops in one year by pruning the grape cv. ‘Perlette’ in mid July, after 12 buds (nodes) per cane. So, flowering can be delayed in areas where rains are problem at the time of ripening. The desired cane maturity (120 days old shoots) can be achieved by pruning and defoliation as higher photosynthetic rates in defoliated vines were observed by Hunter and Visser (1988), which could help in shoot maturation. Prolonged photosynthetic activity was observed after partial defoliation and drop in nitrogen contents of the remaining leaves was reduced. Keeping in view the possibility of two crops in one year and higher photosynthetic activity after defoliation, grape vines of cv. Anab-e-Shahi were pruned and defoliated to suppress the first crop for getting a second crop. The basic theme of study was to get a commercial crop in Punjab, which could escape from “moon soon” rains at the time of ripening. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study to manipulate grape production under the agro-climatic conditions of Punjab (Pakistan) was conducted during the year 1999. It was consisted of two experiments. Experiment No. 1. Shoots of the grape cv. Anab-e-Shahi were pruned at two different nodal lengths i.e., pruning of shoots at 15 th node and pruning of shoots at 20 th node. After pruning, lateral growth was removed continuously at weekly interval in order to mature the shoots for blooming. Re-growth pattern of the laterals in different nodes was noted up to the end of August; shoot thickness was measured and compared with untreated shoots. Experiment No. 2. Shoots were pruned at two different nodal lengths i.e. at 15 th and 20 th node, and laterals were removed continuously with weekly interval, until June. Later on, the laterals were not removed but the shoots were defoliated on 15 th June (T 1 ), 1 st July (T 2 ) and 15 th July (T 3 ). Re-growth of leaves after defoliation was noted. Samples of re-grown leaves were analyzed for NPK contents by the methods used by Chapman and Parker (1961) and Yoshida et al. (1976) to assess the shoot maturity for blooming. Data on shoot thickness and NPK contents of leaves were statistically analyzed using Fisher’s analysis of variance technique and Duncan’s Multiple Range (DMR) test at 5% probability to compare the treatment means (Petersen, 1994). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Re-growth pattern of the vines. Terminal nodes showed maximum lateral re-growth (Table I) in both the treatments. Node number 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the vines pruned after 15 th node had 0.80 (9.10%), 1.13 (12.82%), 2.08 (23.54%) and 2.70 (30.56%) re-grown laterals (Re-growth percentage in parenthesis). Similarly, the vines pruned after 20 th nodes had maximum re-growth at last three nodes i.e. 18 th , 19 th and 20 th nodes, which had 1.13 (10.77%), 1.75 (16.65%) and 1.75 (16.65%) re-growth, respectively. Re-growth of laterals decreased in nodes number from tip to the base of the