Effect of early cane pruning on yield components, grape composition, carbohydrates storage and phenology in <i>Vitis vinifera</i> L. cv. Merlot

Abstract

Dormant cane pruning has a great impact on vineyard management both in terms of labour costs and the time required to complete this field operation in the absence of mechanisation. In this study, we investigated over three seasons the influence of five pruning dates on yield components, grape composition, phenology and carbohydrate reserves in the variety Merlot, grown in a warm climate area. Pruning was conducted soon after harvest, at the end of leaf fall, two bud dormancy stages and vine bleeding. Early pruning, carried out a few days after the grape harvest, did not significantly affect vine productivity or grape composition in the next season compared to full winter pruning. Similarly, non-structural carbohydrate concentration in trunk and roots showed no difference just before budburst, no matter the timing of pruning. Late winter pruning at vine bleeding slightly postponed budburst and flowering; it also delayed veraison in one out of two years of observation without affecting grape maturity. Our findings suggested that, in a warm-climate area where leaf fall occurs within a ten-week period after harvest, early pruning had no detrimental effects on reserve accumulation in storage organs and, therefore, in vine yield and grape composition in the next harvest, thus allowing viticulturists to operate winter pruning over an extended interval of time.

Potential of Different Actinidia Genotypes as Resistant Rootstocks for Preventing Kiwifruit Vine Decline Syndrome

“…An assay of TNCs (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) on the thick roots was performed owing to the importance of TNCs in subsequent years for accumulation of starch reserves [37]. Briefly, TNCs were assessed using anthrone reagent (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) and absorbance readings at 620 nm were performed using a Shimadzu UV Mini-1240 spectrophotometer (Kyoto, Japan) [38]. The data are expressed in mg g −1 DW.…”

Impacts of seasonality on the phenology of three grapevine cultivars in the semi-arid climate

“…In addition, high temperatures during fruit development can promote hypoxia in the berry, and, consequently, increase the respiration of mesocarp cells (Greer, 2017). All these alterations may promote modi cation of the cell wall structure, and composition of berries by enzymes, as reported in white grape genotypes (Airén, Albillo Dorado, and Montonera del Casar) (Perez-Navarro et al, 2021), and purple grape (Merlot) (Falginella et al, 2022).…”

“…'Malbec' (Ferrara et al, 2022;Morgani et al, 2022), 'Merlot' (Allegro et al, 2020), 'Bobal' and 'Tempranillo' (Buesa et al, 2020), and Pinot Noir (Frioni et al, 2019). In contrast, Falginella et al (2022) reported that yield and qualitative parameters are not affected by different growing seasons in hot climate regions. Although some effects can be noticed in early maturing cultivars, the vine's recovery from late phenological stages is reduced ring the growing season.…”

“…In this scenario, cultivation in semiarid regions has stood out due to the anticipation of crop production cycles in uenced by climatic conditions during phenological stages (Gambetta et al, 2020), allowing for two annual harvests (Perin et al, 2023). Hot, and dry climates may accelerate grape ripening by inducing important changes in the physical-chemical composition of fruits (Falginella et al, 2022). These characteristics are commonly reported in the city of Bom Jesus, an ecological mesoregion of the Piauí Cerrado characterized by a semiarid tropical mega thermal well-de ned winter dry season, an average annual rainfall of 1,200 mm, and an average temperature ranging from 26 to 28°C (NIM, 2022).…”

“…The cultivation of vines in new regions exposes the plants to edaphoclimatic conditions that have not yet been studied, which can cause changes in their phenology (Falginella et al, 2022;Morgani et al, 2022), and photosynthetic capacity (Ren et al, 2022), re ecting growth (Vuerich et al, 2021), yield (Gambetta et al, 2020), and fruit quality (Buesa et al, 2020;Perez-Navarro et al, 2021). Therefore, analyzing the logical behavior in different growing seasons is critical for enhancing production in new areas.…”