Culture Techniques For Healthy Grape Production Under Rain Shelters In Minhang District Of Shanghai

Grapevine is an important economic fruit tree, planted not only as traditional fresh fruit butas wine-made also. China is one of the countries where grapevines are grown on a large scale inthe world. Both the area and the yield of grape fruits in China have been rising since Chinareformation and open to the world and the rural industrialization, especially in the past ten years.The whole area of growing grapevines is 392,400 hectares (5,886,000 mu) with the total yield4,480,000 tons in China in 2002 according to the statistics of the Department of Agriculture.China is the sixth country in area scale of growing grapevines and the fifth one in yield.Grape-growing in Minhang district of Shanghai has gradually developed from single familyto larger and larger scale since 1980s, but the area was still small. Since 1996, high-qualityvarieties with bigger-size berry have been introduced and the cultural practices of healthy grapefruits have been used. High-quality grape varieties such as Kyoho, Red fuji and Rizamat, etc. areall conducted in protective establishment in Minhang district today with a larger scale. Minhangdistrict where belongs to north subtropical zone is obvious with four climate seasons andabundant with rainfall, suitable for many kinds of plant diseases and insect pests to develop,which is disadvantageous for healthy grape growing. The comprehensive research of growinghealthy grapes under rain shelter has been conducted since 2003 in the district, includingselection of growing bases, varieties, improvement of fertilizer application and control ofdiseases and insect pests, etc., in order to guide grape-cultivating efficiently and make the valueof grapes better in Minhang district. The main results are as the followings:1. Main varieties and grape cultivation status in Minhang district. According to ourinvestigation, the main grape varieties grown in the district with larger scale included Kyoho,Red fuji, Rizamat, Yatomi Rosa, Christmas Rose, Fujimidori, Manicur finger, etc. which are allconducted in protective establishment in Minhang district now. The area, yield and output valueof grape in six towns of Minhang district continued rising in the past four years as theimprovement of culture techniques, where the yield increased from 0.21 tons per mu in 2001 to1.50 tons per mu in 2004. Shanghai Liannong Demonstration Farm of Economic Crops andBeiqiao High Yield and Quality Demonstration Farm of Agricultural Crops of Minhang Districtare the bases of grapevine growing on a larger scale in Minhang district, with 70 mu and 58 mu,respectively today. Eight high-quality grape varieties suitable to Minghang district have beenintroduced to Shanghai Liannong Demonstration Farm of Economic Crops invested by ServiceCentre for Agricultural Technique of Minhang District at the end of 2002, and the technicians inthe farm have begun to try organic cultivating of grape. 2. Investigation on the main diseases and pests in Minhang district during 2003-2005showed that downy mildew, white rot, powdery mildew, bird eye rot, anthracnose, moth and tigerlongicorn, etc were important and need to be controlled in production.3. The comprehensive techniques applied to grow healthy grape fruits in rain shelter weproposed as follows:3.1 Rain shelter pattern: In order to prevent the spread of disease fungi, especially downymildew of grape, rain shelter has been developed in Minhang District of Shanghai for most ofvarieties, especially which belongs to Vitis vinifera, such as Rizamat. This is a necessary forhealthy grape growing in the district.3.2 Fertilizer application: About 7500 kg per mu of completely fermented farmyard manureis used as grape base fertilizer. The principles of foliar application is to promote growth at theearly season but to control at the late by balancing application of N, P, K. As to water irrigation,it was focused on two stages, i.e. at sprouting and after harvest, whereas water was controlledduring the fruit mature period in grape orchards in the district.3.3 Grape bagging: One white bag special for grapes was selected for grape bagging afterclusters were thinned and manipulated, which would be finished before the end of June. Grapebagging might prevent fungus infection and pesticide residue on the fruit surface, which wouldreduce pesticide application in orchards and increase fruit quality. It is necessary to sprayprotective chemicals one time before bagging.3.4 Control of grape diseases and insect pests: The prevention and control of grape diseasesand insect pests follows the principle of "Prevention first, integrative control" based on correctforecast of diseases and insect pests. Integrative control methods including agricultural control,organic control, physical control and chemical control are put into practice recently. Pesticidesapplication follows "The Standard of Growing Healthy Grapes" and the principle of alternationof using pesticides. Moth-trapping by sugar and vinegar, moth-killing lamp and fruit coveringare also used to prevent, control and separate the harm of grape diseases and insect pests.