Growers should make sure DK Cabernet crops are fully developed before desiccating this harvest, warned Robert Plaice, technical development manager for Dekalb.

Spraying off too early could reduce yields and give poor desiccation, he stressed. “Maturity will be later than Castille, so don’t spray them at the same time unless you are sure it is ready.”

Two-thirds of the seeds in a pod should be turning from green to brown before desiccating, he said.