Ratio of fruit weight to wood recognised as the key to vine productivity and fruit quality

Date or time period: 1911

In the early 1900s, a better understanding of plant physiology led to a re-evaluation of pruning practices which commonly removed 85-98% of the annual growth of the vine. Research by Ravaz in France, Perold in South Africa and Winkler in California commenced to determine the effect of pruning and crop load on shoot growth, and the effect of pruning on the capacity for production. In 1911, Ravaz suggested that the ratio of fruit weight to wood was the key to consistent productivity and fruit quality