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GRAP e GR o WI n G est at that point. If you wait, the plants de- velop more cellulose, the carbon/ nitrogen ratios increase, and the cover crops won't degrade as quickly. If we are having wet weather, try to find a window to at least mow off the tops of the cover crop, so that you don't create a huge amount of bio- mass that gets in the way of spraying and other cultural operations. By shredding some of the material earlier, it will also make incorporation easier when it finally gets dry enough to till cover crop into the soil. Lower cover crop height also reduces the potential for frost injury. If you are using self-reseeding annual or perennial cover crops, keep the vineyard floor mowed short to minimize frost haz- ards. The shorter you can keep the cover crop, the more heat is stored in the soil. Some cover crops like subterranean clover may reseed better if the foliage is short, as it improves bloom and seed set. Beneath-the-vine weed control programs Early leaf removal pre-bloom, adjacent to the flowers, results in smaller and looser clusters. SpecTrellising_July03 6/4/03 12:36 PM Page 1 should already be under way if you are using cultivating devices. The longer you wait, the more trouble you will have con- trolling large weeds. Most successful culti- vation programs start in February or early March, before weeds begin to expand and flower in the spring. Tipping the shoots just before bloom is an Italian practice that often improves fruit set. Similarly, late April or early May is a Acrolon_3.5x4.875_BW_WinesandVinesAD_March.2011.pdf 1 3/7/2011 2:04:04 PM good time to apply glyphosate (Round- up) if you are doing a post-emergent-only spray program. Applications in Novem- ber, when winter weeds are small, control many of the seedlings at quite low rates of material (8-12 ounces per acre). Similarly, when summer annuals are germinating in early spring, you can control them quite easily with relatively low herbicide rates if you catch them early in the growing sea- son. Be sure you know which weeds are present. Since there are some glyphosate- resistant weeds that can grow up into the canopy and make a real mess later on (such as horse weed and fire weed), check to be sure that you are getting control with your applications. If not, use differ- ent materials or tillage to get the problem weeds under control. CONTROL YOUR TANKS FROM ANYWHERE TANKNET®temperature controls are easy to use, economical and can be remotely managed via mobile devices with NO NEW WIRES at the tank! C M Y CM MY CY CMY K • Calibration-free Temperature Control • Fermentation Status From Anywhere • Brix/Temp/Pump-over Tracking • Alarms via E-mail or Text • Production Software Interfaces • Cellar Temperature, Humidity & CO2 • Flexible Energy Management Tools WWW.ACROLON.COM 707 938-1300 Call for a demonstration Or visit us online for more information 62 Wines & Vines APRiL 201 1 ®