Plant Gene and Trait 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 113-122 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 113 Research Insight Open Access High-Density Planting Systems Improve Mechanical Harvest Efficiency and Fruit Quality of Grapes Xingzhu Feng, Dandan Huang Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China Corresponding email: dandan.huang@hibio.org Plant Gene and Trait, 2025, Vol.16, No.3 doi: 10.5376/pgt.2025.16.0013 Received: 25 Apr., 2025 Accepted: 31 May, 2025 Published: 08 Jun., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Feng and Huang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Feng X.Z., and Huang D.D., 2025, High-density planting systems improve mechanical harvest efficiency and fruit quality of grapes, Plant Gene and Trait, 16(3): 113-122 (doi: 10.5376/pgt.2025.16.0013) Abstract High-density cultivation systems (HDPS) are widely adopted in grape cultivation with the aim of increasing yield, improving fruit quality, and better adapting to mechanical harvesting. This study mainly analyzed the physiological and agronomic responses of grapes under HDPS conditions, including how to optimize the canopy structure, enhance the photosynthetic effect, and the changes in fruit development. It evaluated the impact of this planting method on yield stability, sugar-acid ratio, anthocyanin content, and harvest efficiency, and discussed the integrated schemes of pruning methods and mechanized operations that are compatible with HDPS. This research provides theoretical support for achieving more precise and sustainable management of vineyards, and also offers practical references for addressing labor shortages and responding to climate change. Keywords High-density planting; Grapevine; Fruit quality; Mechanical harvest; Precision viticulture 1 Introduction Grapes are one of the most important cash crops in the world. Nowadays, the planting area is getting larger and larger, and the output is also constantly increasing (Liang, 2024). In recent years, due to the rising labor costs and the difficulty in finding workers, the grape industry has begun to accelerate the pace of mechanization. Harvesting by machine has become a key method to improve efficiency and reduce costs (Burg et al., 2021). To adapt to mechanical operations, the design and management methods of orchards are also constantly being adjusted. high-density planting (HDP) is now becoming increasingly common in the cultivation of many fruit trees. It is believed that it can make better use of the land, enable fruit trees to bear fruit earlier, improve fruit quality, and also facilitate machine operations (Tripathi et al., 2020). In the past, traditional vineyards were usually planted at low density and mainly harvested by hand. This approach has many problems, such as insufficient land utilization, low yield, large differences in fruit quality, and high costs of manual management and picking (Burg et al., 2021; Keller and Mills, 2021). But if the density is not appropriate, it will also cause trouble. In vineyards with a high degree of mechanization, if the density is too high, the trees will grow too densely, the leaves will be severely shaded, the microclimate will deteriorate, and it will affect the development and quality of the fruits. However, if the density is too low, it will waste land resources and the output will not increase (Tripathi et al., 2020; Keller and Mills, 2021). Furthermore, under the traditional planting methods, machine harvesting is not very convenient, has low efficiency and high fruit loss. As a result, the income is not high (Burg et al., 2021). This study explored the impact of high-density planting on mechanical grape harvesting and fruit quality, compared the harvesting efficiency and economic benefits under different planting densities, and also analyzed how density changes affect grape yield and quality. This research hopes to provide some scientific references for the design and management of vineyards and help the industry develop in an efficient and sustainable direction. 2 Concepts and Principles of High-Density Planting 2.1 Definition and classification of high-density systems High-density planting means planting more fruit trees on the same plot of land. It achieves earlier fruiting, higher yield, better fruit quality and greater economic benefits by making better use of vertical and horizontal Spaces,
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