Geo-Textile Overwinter Protection for Vinifera & PIWI Cultivars

Status:  Planned -Updates will be posted at the bottom of the protocol page here
 

1. Experiment Title

Evaluation of Geo-Textile Overwinter Protection on Cold-Sensitive Grapevine Cultivars in a Prairie Climate

 

2. Objective

To evaluate whether seasonal geo-textile vine covers can improve winter survival, trunk integrity, and spring bud viability of selected vinifera and PIWI grape cultivars grown under prairie climatic conditions.

 

3. Background / Rationale

Cold injury remains a primary constraint for vinifera cultivation in prairie regions. While traditional mitigation strategies (hilling up, retraining, site selection) are well documented, geo-textile overwinter protection has been explored more extensively in colder European/Canadian regions than in the U.S. prairie context.

This experiment was prompted by:

• Interviews with cold-climate growers experimenting with vine protection

• Observed success of geo-textile systems in Quebec

• Limited peer-reviewed prairie-specific data on textile overwintering
   

4. Hypothesis

Geo-textile overwinter protection will:

1. Reduce trunk and cordon winter injury

2. Increase spring bud survival

3. Improve early-season vine vigor with greater relative benefit observed in vinifera cultivars compared to PIWI cultivars.

 

5. Cultivars Tested

Vinifera

• Merlot

• Cabernet Franc

PIWI Vinifera Resistant Hybrids

• Merlot Kanthus

• Cabernet Volos

 

6. Experimental Design

Treatment Groups

• Covered Group: Geo-textile applied for overwinter protection

• Control Group: No winter protection beyond standard vineyard practice
   

Layout

• Randomized block design where possible

• Each cultivar represented in both treatment and control groups

Site Characteristics (to document)

• USDA hardiness zone 5B

• Slope and aspect

• Soil type - Loamy Clay

• Wind exposure - High

• Row orientation - North to South

 

7. Geo-Textile Treatment Description

• Type of geo-textile (material, weight, permeability)

• Installation timing (date and phenological stage)

• Installation method (ground contact, vine wrapping, anchoring)

• Removal timing in spring

Include photos or diagrams if possible.

 

8. Data Collected

Data Visualization:

• Temperature Graphs: A side-by-side comparison of ambient air temperature vs. the temperature inside the geo-textile

Winter Injury Assessment

• Trunk damage (visual rating scale)

• Cordon damage

• Presence of cambial browning
   

Bud Viability

• Bud dissection counts (live vs dead)

• Bud break percentage in spring
   

Early Season Growth

• Shoot count per vine

• Relative shoot vigor (qualitative rating)

• Delayed or uneven bud break observations
   

Secondary Observations

• Rodent damage

• Mold or moisture issues under textile

• Labor and handling difficulty
   

 

9. Timing

• Fall: Textile installation after leaf fall

• Winter: Minimum temperature records logged

• Spring: Textile removal prior to bud break

• Early Growing Season: Injury and growth assessments
   

 

10. Data Analysis Approach

• Descriptive statistics (means, ranges)

• Cultivar-by-treatment comparison

• Qualitative observations emphasized due to small sample size

This experiment is exploratory, not intended for statistical inference beyond observed trends.

 

11. Limitations

• Single site

• Limited replication

• Year-specific weather patterns

• Learning curve with textile application
   

These limitations are acknowledged explicitly and do not invalidate observed patterns.

 

12. Related Material

• Interviews: Cold-climate growers experimenting with vine protection

• Notes: “Observed limits of vinifera survival without intervention.”

• History: Early prairie grape experimentation

 

13. Venting Protocol

Below is the venting protocol this experiment will follow post January 1st.

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