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Abstract
The effect of evaporative cooling on budbreak and yield of Vitis vinifera L. (‘Perlette’ and ‘Thompson Seedless’) vines grown in the southern Jordan Valley in Israel was investigated. Overhead microsprinklers were operated from 0600 to 1800 hr daily during the autumn and winter months, either alone or in combination with cyanamide sprays after pruning. Evaporative cooling decreased the temperature of buds exposed to direct sunlight from 30° to 16°C and that of shaded buds from 25° to 13°. Evaporative cooling induced an early uniform budbreak. However, when evaporative cooling was combined with cyanamide spray, its effect was evident only during the initial phase of bud emergence. In 1985 cyanamide spray and evaporative cooling alone increased yield of ‘Perlette’ by 6% and 6% to 24%, respectively, and by 17% to 46% when both treatments were combined. In 1986 prolonged evaporative cooling increased the yield of ‘Perlette’ by 25% but, in combination with cyanamide, by only 11.6% over the unwetted cyanamide-treated control. In both years, evaporative cooling with or without cyanamide advanced fruit maturation.