Cold-Hardy Grape Cultivar Winter Injury and Trunk Re-Establishment Following Severe Weather Events in North Dakota

Abstract

Extreme winter temperatures during the 2018–2019 dormant season contributed to trunk collapse and complete trunk death of numerous genotypes throughout a diverse grapevine planting in eastern North Dakota, USA. Through the early portion of the dormant season, 12 genotypes were screened to identify lethal temperature exotherms of primary buds; from these results, none were anticipated to be fully prepared to survive the −37 °C minimum temperature recorded in the region. Trunk collapse, death, and survival were monitored for 35 replicated genotypes. New trunks were retrained from suckers and monitored for growth following trunk removal. Only five genotypes exceeded 50% trunk survival at the end of the 2019 growing season, ‘Valiant’, ‘King of the North’, ‘John Viola’, ‘Baltica’, and ‘Bluebell’. Following re-establishment, ‘La Crescent’ was the most vigorous genotype with the largest sucker circumference, sucker length, and internode length. Nearly all genotypes evaluated produced suckers with lengths approaching the high-wire trellis height (1.8 m), designating their potential for cordon retraining in 2020. Cumulatively, however, the lethal temperature exotherm results and the trunk survival examination indicate a harrowing need for investigation of new management practices (such as protected training systems) and the generation of new cold-hardy genotypes to enhance productivity under standard unprotected systems.

Grapevine trunk diseases of cold-hardy varieties grown in Northern Midwest vineyards coincide with canker fungi and winter injury

“…In either case of winter injury often the roots and the lower trunk of vines are protected by the insulating snow covering. Thus, trunk replacement by sucker is a viable and common management strategy in the NMW [ 84 ]. Regardless, associated observations of winter injury, vascular discoloration, and identification of fungi suggests our second hypothesis is true and that the polar vortex likely predisposed grapevines to these opportunistic canker pathogens.…”

Freezing Tolerance and Chilling Fulfillment Differences in Cold Climate Grape Cultivars

“…Typically, the maximum freezing tolerance occurs in January and then begins to decrease with increasing temperatures in February or March [31][32][33]. Interspecific cultivars are reported to have a wide range of inherent cold hardiness and winter survival characteristics [2,33]. The results of this study showed the complex interactions of the grapevine cultivar freezing tolerance and bud dormancy phenotype in response to changing temperatures.…”

“…Freezing injury is one of the most problematic issue impacting production of grapevine in Northern regions of the United States [1][2][3]. The freezing tolerance of grapevine species and cultivars varies considerably with Vitis riparia having the greatest reported tolerance of −40 • C [4,5].…”

Death and Dying: Grapevine Survival, Cold Hardiness, and BLUPs and Winter BLUEs in North Dakota Vineyards

“…In the United States, grapevine is the leading horticultural crop in terms of production quantity (FAO, 2020). Freezing injury is one of the major issues restricting grapevine production in many northern regions of the United States [1][2][3].…”