Agronomic performance of ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ variety trained in Y-trellis and vertical shoot position trellis in a high-altitude region of southern Brazil

The objective of the present work was to compare the effect of the training systems Y-trellis (Y) and Vertical Shoot Position trellis (VSP) on the production efficiency and chemical characteristics of grapes and wine from ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ cultivated in high altitude regions of Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The study was carried out in 2013, 2014 and 2015 harvests in a commercial vineyard located in the municipality of São Joaquim - SC (28º 17 ’38 ”S and 49º 55’54” O, altitude 1350 m). The obtained data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) with F Test (p ≤ 0.05). The relationship between the vegetative growth and the yield was influenced by the training system. For the ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ cultivar, the yield was 93% higher in the Y-trellis training system, resulting in better vegetative-productive balance. The technological and phenolic maturation of the grapes were similar in both training systems. The results of this study show that the Y-trellis training system is an alternative to use in Santa Catarina altitude regions because it provides an increased productivity on the ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ variety without compromising the composition of grapes, when comparing to the VSP training system.