SUMMARYThis study tested the relationship between stem water potential (ψ stem ) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in order to evaluate its use as reference for irrigation control of table grape (Vitis vinifera) cvs. Thompson Seedless and Redglobe. Two trials were carried out on consecutive seasons. In the first season the treatments consisted of four different irrigation regimes: T1, plants irrigated at 100% of ETc; T2, irrigated until fruit set the same as T1 but after fruit set every other time T1; T3, plants with no irrigation from fruit set to harvest; and T4, plants irrigated at 50% of ETc throughout the growing season. Vines from T1 always showed a higher ψ stem for a wide VPD range, therefore the ψ stem and VPD relationship was established using T1 vines, obtaining a logarithmic function with a high determination coefficient (R 2 =0.85). The following season this relationship was used to control irrigation frequency on two table grape cvs. Irrigation started when vines had 20 cm shoots and then the irrigation amount was set to replenish 10% of soil available water. Trial 1 was conducted on cv. Thompson Seedless and consisted of two treatments: T1 plants irrigated to satisfy 100% ETc and T2 plants irrigated according to the previously obtained ψ stem -VPD reference line. Trial 2 was established with Redglobe cv. plants using three treatments: T1 plants irrigated to satisfy 100% Etc; T2, plants irrigated the same as T1 but after fruit set every other time T1; and T3, plants irrigated according to the ψ stem -VPD reference line previously obtained. Irrigation frequency determined using the ψ stem -VPD relationship reduced total water volume compared to T1 on both trials, with no effects on yield or quality, showing the feasibility of using this relationship to control irrigation frequency.
RESUMOEste trabalho incidiu na análise da relação entre o potencial hídrico xilemático (ψ stem ) e o déficit de pressão de vapor (VPD), para utilizá-la como referência na programação de irrigação em uva de mesa (Vitis vinifera) das variedades Thompson Seedless e Redglobe. Foram realizados dois ensaios em temporadas consecutivas. Na primeira temporada os tratamentos consistiram em quatro regimes de irrigação: T1, plantas irrigadas com 100% de ETc; T2, plantas irrigadas igual ao T1 até a frutificação e depois uma vez a cada duas irrigações deT1: T3, plantas sem irrigação entre a frutificação e a colheita; e T4, plantas irrigadas com 50% de ETc durante toda a temporada. As plantas de T1 apresentaram sempre valores mais altos de ψ stem para uma ampla gama de VPD, portanto, a relação ψ stem -VPD foi estabelecida utilizando plantas de T1, obtendo uma função logarítmica com um alto coeficiente de determinação ((R 2 =0.85). Na subsequente temporada esta relação foi utilizada para controlar a frequência de irrigação em duas variedades de uva de mesa. A quantidade de irrigação foi estabelecida para repor 10% de humidade aproveitável. O ensaio 1 foi realizado na variedade Thompson Seedless e baseou-se em dois tratamentos: T1, plantas...