新規道具を利用したブドウ花穂整形の省力化(栽培管理・作型)  [in Japanese] New Labor-Saving Cutting Tool for Grapevine Flower Thinning(Crop Production & Cropping Type)  [in Japanese]

ブドウ花穂整形の省力・軽労化を図るために,簡便な操作で短時間に花穂整形を可能にする道具(花穂整形器)を考案した。花穂整形器は,指示板中央部の両面に半円形の刃と指輪を取り付けた手のひらサイズの道具である.半円形の刃の間に穂軸を挟み,連結板で左右の支持板を固定した後,本体を上下に動かすことによって所定の支梗を切除できた.開花始期に対照区(ハサミ)と試作器による花穂整形の処理時間を比較した結果,'安芸クイーンおよび'巨峰'無核栽培用の花穂整形において,作業時間を対照区の24〜39%に短縮できた.また,'巨峰'有核栽培用の花穂整形では作業時間を対照区の約35%に短縮できた.処理後の穂軸に大きな傷跡は残らず,果実品質にも影響は認められなかった。これらの結果から,花穂整形器を利用することによって,ブドウ無核・有核栽培用の花穂整形を慣行通りに行えるとともに省力・軽労化できることを示せた.

We designed a new device for grapevine flower thinning to improve task efficiency and lighten the work burden. The prototype is a palm-sized tool equipped with two semicircular blades. Each blade is surrounded by a support plate, and the two support plates are connected to each other by a curved spring. The tool is used by placing the axis of the primary rachis within the circular space between the blades and locking the support plates together with the provided locking clip. Then, the cutting tool is slid downward along the primary rachis to cut off the unwanted flowers. In a pilot experiment conducted to test the prototype tool, the time required for flower thinning of the seedless cultivars 'Aki Queen' and 'Kyoho' (Vitis vinifera×V. labruscana) was shortened by 24%-39% when the prototype was used, compared to the time required using horticultural scissors. Similarly, this tool reduced the time required for flower thinning of the seeded cultivar 'Kyoho' by about 35%. The tool did not cause large scars on the surface of the primary axis after its use, and did not have any undesirable effect on fruit quality. Therefore, this new cutter is a useful labor-saving tool for flower thinning of both seedless and seeded cultured grapevine varieties in accordance with established practice.