Stay on top of vine nutrition needs with a bloom-time tissue test
By CnAgri
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Battany recommends conducting a plant tissue analysis at two critical times during the season – at bloom and, again, at veraison. “This way, if you need to make any changes in your nutrient management program, the vines will have time to benefit from them,” he says
Plant tissue testing should be done for each block representing a single variety and rootstock and the same cultural practices, Battany says. He recommends collecting a large sample; say 60 to 100 petioles or leaf blades, from the block being tested.
At bloom, collect petioles or leaf blades from leaves located opposite the first or second flower cluster from the bottom of the shoot. However, at veraison, collect the petioles or leaf blades of fully-formed leaves farther out on the shoot. Usually, these are from five to seven leaves back from the shoot tip.
“If you track the leaves opposite the basal cluster late in the season, leaves at this position will have become degraded and senesce,” Battany says. “So, at veraison you want to test more recent growth that is more representative of the main bulk of the canopy.”
Also, he advises communicating with the lab conducting the analysis before collecting samples. “For example, if you’re using foliar nutrient sprays and not washing the samples properly, the tissue tests may give false readings,” he says. “So make sure the sample you’re collecting meets the lab’s requirements.”
