Response of Karaerik Grape Cultivar (Vitis vinifera L.) to Two Training Systems and Three Trunk Heights

Three different trunk heights (75 cm, 100 cm, and 125 cm), two grapevine training systems (vertical shoot positioning–shaped and Y‑shaped) were compared for their effects on yield, cluster characteristics, and must composition in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Karaerik in Erzincan, Turkey. We hypothesized that, compared to vines trained with wall-shaped support systems, vines trained with Y‑shaped support systems would have better yield, cluster characteristics, and must composition. Average yield regulations imposed by Y‑shaped support system–trained vines are usually higher than for vertical shoot positioning–shaped support system–trained vines, but similar results were obtained for total cluster number, cluster and berry weight, pruning weight, titratable acidity, maturation index, and total soluble solids among the trunk heights over the 3‑year period. Our results suggest that the trunk heights were insufficient to induce a grow-limiting response of vines, as trunk-height vines did not have lower fruit set, cluster characteristics, must composition, or bud fruitfulness. Although acceptable grape quality was obtained from three different trunk heights and two grapevine training systems, Y‑shaped support system–trained vines had greater total soluble solids at the expense of higher grape yield. We may, therefore, recommend Y‑shaped training systems because the anticipated crop yield increases of this system were logistically superior to an earlier training system. They are also recommended if the anticipated canopy structures of a training system are desired as a crop-regulation tool alternative to the Baran training system.