Leaf removal in grapes is done to allow air to flow around bunches and to expose them to sunlight. This lowers the risk of botrytis (bunch rot) as the exposed bunches dry out quickly after rain.
Hand removal of leaves is the traditional method used and works well as the leaves inside the canopy can be targeted.
Machines have been developed to pluck the leaves off by sucking the leaves into the path of a cutter. This works well with leaves on the outside of the canopy, but doesn’t get the leaves that are in the middle of the canopy and often around or over bunches.
We use a Collard Leaf blower that works by blowing a large volume of low pressure air pulses that shatter the leaves while doing little or no damage to the bunches. We find it works really well as it takes a lot of the internal leaves out. We use it at the end of flowering to ensure that bunches dry out quickly if we get any rain and this greatly lowers our botrytis risk.
Cheers for now
Stuart
http://www.toreawines.co.nz/
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