Copper content of grape and wine from Italian farms

Abstract

The copper content of grape and wine from 16 wine-farms in Italy was studied during the harvest of 2003. The influence of the number of copper applications, the period between the last application and harvest, and the total amount of copper applied was examined. Of the total number of samples analysed, 13% of grape samples and 18% of wine samples exceeded the maximum residue level (MRL). The total amount of copper applied and the number of days between the last application and harvest explained 44% of the concentration of copper in grape. This low correlation may be due to other influencing factors, such as meteorology and the application method. In 2003, conditions were unusually dry and the recommended safety interval for copper application (20 days) was not sufficient to guarantee a residue level in grape below the MRL (20 mg kg(-1)). In order to reduce the probability of copper residues being close to the MRL, a period of 40-50 days between the last application and harvest is suggested. Furthermore, the copper content of grape and wine was not dependent on the pest management strategy of the farm (conventional, integrated or organic). A more important factor influencing copper residue levels may be that copper applications are made in response to the prediction of a disease outbreak rather than being dependent on the pest management strategy in place. No difference in copper content was observed between red and white grape or wine.

Influence of Fungicide Residues in Wine Quality

“…In addition, this study showed that the copper content did not depend on the strategy of pest control (conventional, integrated or organic). Of the three above factors, the most important is the amount of copper applied, since it implies about 50% of the final concentrations in grapes and wine (García-Esparza et al, 2006). Other researchers studied the possible effect of fermentation processes on the levels of total arsenic and inorganic species [As (III) and As (V)] and organic (arsonic monomethyl acid [MMAA] and dimethyl arsinic acid [DnaA]) in 45 wines of southern Spain.…”

Change in Kinetic parameters of commercial yeast in the presence of copper fungicides

“…The residual concentration in musts resulted from fruit, or use of fungal treatments, is related to copper rate applied throughout growing season, the quantity of the applications, and the amount of rainfall between application and harvest [16]. The current legislation in South Africa considers in the legal parameters any concentration up to 20 mg L −1 Cu 2+ in the grape berries [17].…”

Copper uptake, accumulation and physiological changes in adult grapevines in response to excess copper in soil

“…Li (1994) reported that in vineyards using Cu-based fungicides, extremely high Cu concentrations were observed in the leaves and petioles of the grapevines (all >118 mg kg −1 ), whereas the concentrations in the pulp of the berries (skin and seeds removed) ranged from 0.33 to 1.7 mg kg −1 FW. García-Esparza et al (2006) demonstrated that the amount of Cu applied via fungicides exhibited a low correlation (R 2 =0.26) with the metal residues in the grapes. The same study reported Cu concentrations in grapes ranging from 2 to 40 mg kg −1 FW, and after 50 days of fungicide application, the concentrations decreased to values below 10 mg kg −1 FW.…”