Determination of the Level of Lignification of the Annual Branches of Table Grape Varieties at Different Axillary Shoot Removal Levels in Vegetative Period

This study has been carried out in the years 2013 and 2014 aimed to determine the level of lignification of the annual branches of table grape varieties (Amasya Beyazi, Ata Sarisi, Cardinal, Kozak Beyazi, Yalova Çekirdeksizi and Yalova Ġncisi) at different axillary shoot removal levels (YDKB: none axillary shoot removal, NDKA: normal level axillary shoot removal and YDKA: high level axillary shoot removal) in vegetative period. The scions with the thickness of 7.5–9.5 mm used as material of this research work have been obtained from the Research and Application Vineyards of Table Grape Varieties located at the ÇOMÜ Dardanos Research Campus (Çanakkale Turkey). In YDKA application that held in the vegetation of 2012, a reduction has also been recorded in the lignification levels of annual branches (diameter/core and xylem/core) from the month of March in 2013 due to the decline in the maturity index, and then that led to a reduction in the potential of vine stocks, generally, in first year (2012). In contrast, the level of the lignification of annual branches showed an increase in the same period with YDKB application that caused a rise in the potential of vine stocks but the effect of NDKB application generally has been as the average of the two applications. The YDKB application, held in the vegetation year of 2012, had increased the level of lignification of the annual branches, and raised their birth rates in the second year (2013), too, by paving the way for increasing the average yield of the grape varieties in a significant level. Nevertheless, significant levels of 2013 with the rise in the average grape yield vegetation, this time of the year category in the same application of lignification level reductions were recorded in March 2014.