The experiment was installed in Cardoso Moreira, north area of Rio de Janeiro State, during the year 2001, with the objective of describing the fenology of 'Itália' grape and determinate the degree-day (GD) required, under different pruning dates (April, May, June and July). The phenological behavior was evaluated for the following periods: pruning to bud swell, bud swell to shoots, shoots to pre-bloom, pre-bloom to blooming, blooming to the beginning of maturation and beginning of the maturation to the harvest. The thermal characterization was determined, in degree-day, for the cycle pruning-crop. The duration of the cycle was 138, 151, 150 and 157 days for prunings carried out in April, May, June and July, respectively. The thermal demands of plants were 1727GD to pruning carried out in April, 1564GD for pruning carried out in May, 1702GD for pruning carried out in June and 1840GD for pruning carried out in July, being used the temperature-base of 12°C.
phenological characterization; pruning; grape; Vitis vinifera L.
