Ministry of Agriculture & Lands

The Best Practices Guide for Grapes for British Columbia Growers

The guide for this year has been largely revised with much new information, but still based on information from the previous versions. The guide editorial committee also has input from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Research and Development committee of the BCWI, crop/pest management consultants and chemical and farm supply company representatives. We have also with this edition, articles written by authors from the US. 

The guide is available at a cost of $50 for non-members $50 and $35 for BCWGC members plus $10 shipping/handling and GST. To order contact: Grapes

Louise Corbeil
BC Wine Grape Council
PO Box 1218
Peachland BC V0H 1X0
Tel: 250-767-2534 Fax: 250-767-0094
Email: bcwgc@telus.net.

Contents of the Best Practices Guide for Grapes include:

1. Introduction

2. Grapevine development and basic physiology

3. Vineyard establishment
3.1 site selection
3.2 soils, terrain and land preparation
3.3 Planting grapevines
3.4 variety and rootstock selection
3.5 trellis systems

4. Vineyard maintenance
4.1 maintaining young vines
4.2 canopy management
4.3 nutrition
4.4 irrigation
4.5 Vineyard floor management
4.6 frost protection
4.7 crop estimation

5 Crop protection
5.1 IPM
5.2 Grape diseases
5.3 Insects and mites
5.4 weeds
5.5 wildlife
5.6 Urban issues

6. Organic production
7. Spray application
7.1 pesticides
7.2 recommended control products
7.3 sprayer calibration

8. Harvest and quality issues
8.1 fruit sampling and maturity
8.2 harvesting techniques
8.3 food safety

9. Farm regulations, guidelines, and government programs
9.1 health and safety in vineyards
9.2 BC employment standards
9.3 Farm Practices Protection Act and Production Insurance
9.4 environmental farm planning

10 Useful publications and websites

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