Management to minimize damage to grapes due to the occurrence of late frosts

The arrival of another cold front, with the possibility of frost next weekend, is worrying producers who already have their vines sprouted in Serra Gaúcha. The cold, so important for the development and quality of the grape harvest, is a real enemy when the vines are budding.

 “Frost freezes and kills the shoots that will no longer produce grapes. These are lost, but there are some measures that could help minimize the damage”, comments Henrique Pessoa dos Santos, researcher at Embrapa Uva e Vinho. And to share these recommendations, together with researchers George Wellington Bastos de Melo (Embrapa) and Leonardo Cury da Silva (IFRS - Bento Gonçalves), they launched a small free manual on the “Management of vineyards in post-frost situations”.

Over five pages with texts and illustrations, guidance is presented on how to assess damage, carry out pruning, assess the need for supplemental fertilization and maintain pest and disease control after regrowth.

The authors reinforce that these managements represent additional costs, but are essential to guarantee the health of the vineyard and production in the next harvests.