Effects of CCC and Pinching Treatment on the Inflorescence Induction and Development on Lateral Shoots in Grapevine

Abstract

With two grape cultivars, Muscat of Alexandria and Kyoho, the effects of CCC sprays in combination with shoot pinching (or topping) were examined on the inflorescence induction and development on lateral shoots arising from the pinched (or topping) shoots. The inflorescence formation on the primary lateral shoots sprayed with CCC greatly increased when they were pinched at 20 leaf stage with Muscat of Alexandria and at 10 leaf stage with Kyoho, but not so at 30 leaf stage with both cultivars. The flower number per inflorescence was greater when the shoots were pinched at 20 leaf stage than at 10 leaf stage with both cultivars.
Furthermore, with Muscat of Alexandria, more flowers per inflorescence were differentiated on the secondary lateral shoots emerged from the primary lateral shoots by pinching the latter at 3 leaf stage than the primary laterals.