Bud fertility assessments – for yield forecasting and improved vineyard decision-making
11 December 2025 | Dr Gregory Dunn, Wine Technical Manager
Interest in using dormant-season bud dissections as a tool for predicting vineyard yield has grown substantially in recent years. However, few specialists have the skills to achieve accurate bud fertility assessments for effective yield forecasting.
Here we look at the method and benefits of bud fertility assessments, and why we are best placed to provide this service – now available for the 2026 season.
What is bud dissection / fertility assessment?
Examining the internal structure of grapevine buds during dormancy (December to March) allows growers to estimate the number of viable inflorescences and make more informed pruning and canopy-management decisions for their vineyards.
The benefits of accurate bud fertility assessments
Vineyards can use the results to refine winter pruning strategies and manage risks associated with climate variability.
Accurate bud fertility assessments help growers optimise labour, anticipate fruitfulness and make better decisions at a time when margins are tightening and weather impacts are increasingly unpredictable.
The skills required to apply bud dissection effectively
Despite its proven value, the technique remains underutilised in the UK, largely because few specialists have the skills to dissect buds accurately and interpret the anatomical features that affect potential yield.
Dissected Vitis vinifera cv. Pinot Noir, showing 3 inflorescence primordia and the shoot apex
I have worked extensively in developing and refining these methods, as one of the world’s leading authorities on grapevine bud anatomy and its link to reproductive development and yield forecasting. Through my work, I have demonstrated that bud dissection is a robust, evidence-based approach that can significantly improve vineyard decision-making when applied consistently.
How we can help – bud fertility assessments for the 2026 season
Campden Wine Services are delighted to offer the UK wine industry, for the first time, a bud dissection service during the winter pruning months.
Vineyards can now access timely, quantitative information to support more targeted pruning, optimise yield management, and enhance overall vineyard performance.
Please contact us for costs and instructions regarding the collection, storage and transport of bud wood.
How can we help?
If you’d like to find out more about bud fertility assessments for the 2026 season, get in touch.
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