Ten years comparison (1999-2009) of seven high density training systems fr the Sagrantino cultivar

With the aim to evaluate the role of training systems on vegetative-productive behaviour of the cv Sagrantino an experimental vineyard with seven high density training systems was created: gobelet, modified gobelet (gobelet with only two branches that develop along the row), Guyot, spurred cordon, CLAB (a spurred cordon that does to require stakes and wires), simple lyre (with two plants in the same position, each of wich develops only a vegetative wall) and double lyre (with one plant with two vegetative walls in the opposite directions of the row). The vineyard, belonging to the "Azienda Agricola Arnaldo Caprai" in Montefalco (PG), was planted in 1994. Analysis on productive analytical parameters (sugars, pH, acidity) and on the polyphenolic content of grapes, showed some significant differences between the different training sistems. The spurred cordon, the CLAB and gobelet modified seem to have guaranteed the best grape quality and are very efficient in term of management (in particular tha CLAB, because it doesn't require support structures). The simple lyre seems to have not reached sufficient levels of quality while the double lyre produced high concentrations of anthocyanins and poliphenols in grapes probably because of the large photosynthetic are available to each plant; both sistems, however, are difficult to manage and require a very expensive mechanical equipment. The Guyot does not appear to guarantee the high quality standards provided by the cordon spurred