cordon, part of the vine’s woody framework, arising from the top of the trunk and on which arms are borne (see diagram under pruning). Cordons can be at any angle but are generally trained along horizontal wires, or shallowly sloped wires as in some tendone trellises. The most common arrangement is a bilateral cordon in which two horizontal cordons are arranged in opposite directions from the top of the trunk, but any number of arrangements are possible. The unilateral cordon is common in some parts of Europe. Because of ease of management and mechanization, spur pruning using horizontal cordons is being increasingly adopted in the New World. Usually the cordon is trained to its permanent position and remains there. See vine-training systems.
