Pruning and vine health

trunk diseases which invade pruning wounds are an increasing concern worldwide, and pruning systems such as cane pruning, which involve fewer wounds per vine than spur pruning and far fewer than mechanical pruning, are preferred. Marco Simonit of Italy has developed a modification to the Guyot system which encourages the maintenance of sap flow in the vine, thereby avoiding the potentially damaging effects of pruning wounds. This system is based on studies by Lafon in the Charentes, France, published in 1921. Care must be taken to treat pruning wounds, most commonly with a fungicide but also with a formulation that includes antagonistic fungi such as Trichoderma.