FR2743467A1 - Production method of top grafted vine plants - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves cutting, from graft stock cuttings, a length of between 50 and 90 cm. Prior to planting, operations of disbudding, cutting, grafting and paraffining operations are carried out. Each paraffined graft cutting is then placed in a protective container constituted by a sheath (2) of length equal to that of the stock (1a). The sheath lower part (2a) is shaped to receive and contain the root system and its accompanying substratum (5). The remaining part of the sheath is filled up to the grafting point (1c) with a sterile medium (7). The plants are forced in a local temperature maintained at about 30 deg. under hygrometric saturation for 2 to 3 weeks. Afterwards they are matured in a cold greenhouse for several weeks. At the end of this time the plants are ready to be planted directly in their packaging with the lower part of the sheath buried.

Description

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GRAFT-WELDED VINE PLANTS
A HIGH GRAFT AND PLANTS THUS OBTAINED
The present invention relates to the production of grafted-welded vine plants with a high graft.

 This type of plant in which the grafting point is located at a distance greater than 50 cm, for example between 50 and 90 cm, counted from the other end of the rootstock, is increasingly sought after, in particular at because of its greater resistance to pathogens and to the action of certain pests, resulting from the greater distance of the soil from the graft, than in conventional plants whose rootstocks have lengths of the order of 20 to 35 cm, depending on the wine regions.

 However, traditional techniques of industrial production of grafted-welded vine plants with a low graft are not suitable for plants with a high graft.

 According to the technique called peat pots, after grafting and waxing of the upper part of the graft-cuttings, we proceed to forcing the plants, tidy and tightened vertically against each other in boxes, the gaps between the plants being filled with blond peat or sawdust, the boxes being stored in a room at a temperature maintained at 300C, while the humidity is brought to saturation, for ten days.

 Then, the plants are taken out of the boxes, cleaned, paraffined and put in small pots filled with a substrate based on peat and crushed pine bark with the addition of complex mineral fertilizers coated, slow release. These small pots are placed in an air-conditioned greenhouse for 7 to 10 weeks.

 Finally, the plants are sorted, acclimatized outdoors for a few days, then delivered to the winegrowers.

 This technique is not suitable for plants with very long rootstocks. Indeed, it is essential during forcing to cover almost all of the rootstock in order to obtain the osmotic pressure necessary for the creation of new tissues and this cannot be achieved under economically acceptable conditions with tall plants and arranged vertically.

 The conventional so-called nursery production technique is no more suitable for obtaining very long rootstocks.

 Indeed, according to this technique, the forcing is carried out under the same conditions as in the previous technique, the plants being then, at the outlet of the box, placed in the open field.

 The aim of the present invention is to propose a truly industrial production technique, at an economically acceptable cost and in a practical and simple manner to implement, grafted-welded vine plants with a high graft, said technique being characterized in that '' it consists of cutting rootstock cuttings between 50 and 90 cm in length, practicing the traditional preliminary operations of disbudding, cutting, grafting and waxing, then placing the waxed cuttings each in a container protector consisting of a sheath of length substantially equal to that of the rootstock and the lower part of which is shaped so as to receive and contain the root system and its accompanying substrate, the remaining part of the sheath being filled up to the vicinity from the grafting point of a sterile environment, forcing the plants thus conditioned in a room at a temperature maintained at around 300C under hygrometric saturation for 2 to 3 weeks approximately, then growing in a cold greenhouse for several weeks, at the end of which said plants are ready to be placed directly in their packaging with burial of at least minus said lower part of said sheath.

 Such a process allows rational and truly industrial production of a high graft plant, in particularly advantageous practical and economic conditions since the plants are, from the forcing stage, packaged in a protective sheath which will accompany each plant until it is planted and continue to ensure in the ground, its roles of protective guardian.

Advantageously, the sheath used is of the type described in the patent
FR-94-00801 filed in the name of the Applicant.

 Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description which follows of an embodiment of the method of the invention, description given by way of example only and with reference to the appended drawing in which the single figure represents schematically in cut a protective container containing a grafted-welded vine plant with a high graft with the substrate surrounding the root system and the sterile medium enveloping the rest of the rootstock.

 The first stages in the production of grafted-welded vine plants with a high graft are traditional and consist in cutting rootstock cuttings in a range of lengths ranging for example from 50 to 90 cm, meticulously disbudding the fractions obtained, then cut "Vinifera" branches to obtain grafts in fractions of 1 or 2 merithalles with 1 or 2 bud eyes per graft, to be grafted by a system called "English" or "Omega" so as to obtain a graft-cutting and to paraffin by immersion, in special waxes melted at 900 C, of the upper twenty centimeters of said graft-cutting.

 Then, in accordance with the invention, each waxed graft-cutting (1) is placed inside a sheath (2) made of an appropriate plastic material, for example polypropylene.

 The sheath (2) has a generally tubular shape, of circular or polygonal section and of length corresponding substantially to the length of the graft carrier (1a).

 The sheath (2) is open at its upper end, from which protrudes the graft (lob) and its lower part (2a), about ten centimeters, is preferably formed of projections in the form of comb teeth (3) parallel and whose ends (4) are bent towards the center of the sheath.

 The base of the plant (1), at the level of the part (2a) of the sheath, is filled with potting soil (5) containing fertilizers, coated minerals with slow release, insecticides, nematicides, helicides, etc. .. This soil envelops the lower part of the rootstock (1a) and its root system (6) which will be able to develop between the comb teeth (3, 4).

 Above the soil (5) the rest of the sheath (2) is filled with a sterile medium (7), for example expanded perlite or vermiculite, the level of which is very slightly below the point of grafting (it ).

 The sleeves (2) thus filled are then placed on pallets in a greenhouse where the temperature is maintained at 300C, with hygrometric saturation, for 14 to 21 days depending on the varieties.

 The filling of the sheaths ensures during the forcing the osmotic pressure necessary for the creation of new tissues.

 Such forcing is followed by aging in a cold greenhouse for about four weeks.

 The plants are then ready to be delivered to the wine-growers, while remaining in their sheath, until their final placement, without any other stake, protection or attachment, the base of the sheaths being buried vertically for about thirty centimeters, after loosening , soil amendment and fertilization.

 Advantageously, the sheath (2) is of the type described in French patent NO 94 00801 filed in the name of the Applicant.

 Such a sheath has a lower part, intended to be buried, and connected to an upper part by a part of reduced size and reinforced strength. The upper part has a reclosable opening part giving access to the vine plant for its size and its care, the whole sheath being made up of two half-shells hinged together and lockable in the closed position. Thus, the establishment of the plant and the potting soil in the lower part of the sheath is very easy and quick.

 Finally, the invention is obviously not limited to the mode of implementation described above, but on the contrary covers all the variants thereof, in particular as regards the arrangement of the sheath (2) and the nature of the media ( 5 and 7).

 The invention applies more particularly to the vine but can of course be applied to other plants.

Claims (3)

 1. A method of producing grafted-welded vine plants with a high graft, characterized in that it consists of cutting rootstock cuttings with a length of between 50 and 90 cm approximately in carrying out the traditional preliminary budding operations. , cutting, grafting and waxing, then placing the grafted cuttings each in a protective container consisting of a sheath (2) of length substantially equal to that of the rootstock (la) and the lower part (2a) of which is shaped so as to receive and contain the root system and its accompanying substrate (5), the remaining part of the sheath (2) being filled up to the vicinity of the grafting point (lc) of a sterile medium (7), forcing the plants thus conditioned in a room at a temperature maintained at around 300C under hygrometric saturation for about 2 to 3 weeks, then breeding in a cold greenhouse for several weeks, at the end of which said plants are ready to be placed directly in their packaging with burial of at least said lower part (2a) of said sheath (2).  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said sterile medium (7) is perlite or vermiculite.  3. Plants obtained according to the method of claim 1 or 2.