F ro m t h e V. E . Pe t r u c c i L i b r a r y In the coming editions of “From the V.E. Petrucci Library,” we focus on research from the Department of Viticulture and Enology. Each article will highlight research generated by Department research teams, and suggested articles for further reading. The balance between vineyard operation cost and profit is as important as the balance between quality and yield. Dr. S. Kaan Kurtural’s research centers on understanding this balance, and finding methods and treatments that meet both of these needs for winegrape growers. Kurtural, who has been with the Department of Viticulture and Enology since 2008, is currently researching the ways in which mechanical crop management can be used to decrease operation costs while maximizing yield and optimizing the quality of the crop, particularly within the warm growing region of the San Joaquin Valley. In a 2012 HortTechnology article on mechanical canopy Kaan Kurtural, Ph.D. management of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Kurtural et al. point out that more than 50% of California’s 3.6 millions tons of winegrapes a year come from the hot San Joaquin Valley. With this kind of tonnage, and the narrow margin between operations and profit in the region, San Joaquin Valley vines are fertile ground for exploring commercial viability of the methods in Kurtural’s research. The potential impact of mechanical crop management on the industry and the region is broad, touching several aspects of concern to growers, including labor. The ability of mechanized crop management to address the continuing labor need is not only in filling the gap in human hand labor, but also providing up to 79% savings in labor operations costs compared to conventional canopy management methods (Geller and Kurtural, 2013). This kind of cost savings extends to other aspects of the vineyard. While traditional canopy management farms at $429 per acre, the introduction of mechanical crop load management treatments can lower that cost to $88 per acre. When using these mechanical treatments in the San Joaquin Valley the crop loads remain high, around 14 tons per acre according to Kurtural, but this high yield doesn’t negatively affect fruit composition. For the varieties Kurtural and his research teams have studied— Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and French Columbard— flavor expression remains uncompromised. To maximize this potential for high berry quality, Kurtural and his team have looked at ways in which mechanical solutions can extend beyond crop management and harvest, and into improving fruit provided to a winery. Using quality zones created from a sampling grid, mechanical harvesters were guided through the vineyard using signals to deposit the berries in separate gondolas for segregated
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