Comparison of the Performance of Vertical Trellising Systems in Grapevine Rootstock Mother Fields

Rootstock mother fields supply the cuttings used in the grafted grapevine propagation process, and their productivity is essential for the nursery production. In southern Europe, mother fields are usually managed with a ground-level pruning system, which provides high yields but increases sanitary and management risks. Dense canopies favour humid microclimates and large pruning wounds increase the incidence of trunk diseases. Trellis systems have been proposed as alternatives to mitigate these risks, but their productive performance remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vegetative growth of three vertical trellis systems: elevated crown, alternate crown, and vertical axis, in two rootstock mother fields, and to compare their cutting productivity with that of the traditional ground-level system once the trellis vines were fully established. The trial was conducted from 2022 to 2024 in a commercial rootstock mother field in Soria, Spain, using two Vitis berlandieri × V. rupestris hybrids (110 Richter and 140 Ruggeri). The experimental design consisted of three trellis systems arranged in four replicates of 12 vines each, following a randomised block design. Pruning weight increased significantly with vine age but was unaffected by trellis system. Cutting yield differed between rootstocks, with 140 Ruggeri producing about twice as many cuttings as 110 Richter. The comparison between trellis and ground-level systems showed that the former increased labour requirements and reduced cutting yields. Although trellis systems challenge their adoption for commercial rootstock propagation under the dry-summer conditions of this study, their potential to reduce fungal disease incidence and improve canopy management may offer advantages in a transition towards a more sustainable nursery process.