Influence of water status on vine vegetative growth, berry ripening and wine characteristics in Mediterranean Zone (example of Nemea, Greece, variety Saint-George, 1997)

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">The influence of grapevine water status on vine physiological mecanisms and vigour, as well as on berry ripening and wine characteristics, was studied during the summer of 1997 in the Nemea vine growing area (Peloponnesus, Greece). This involved three non irrigated vineyards planted with the local variety Saint-George (Agiorgitiko). These vineyards differed by their soil texture and by the presence of a water table within reach of the roots. The soil of the plot "A", located at 350 m in altitude, contained a high amount of gravel and stones between 0 and 50 cm in depth. The subsoil contained nearly 50 p. cent of clay. The plot "L" was located on a plain at 300 m in altitude. Its soil was very loamy. The plot "N" was located on a plain at 260 m in altitude. Its soil contained a high amount of clay and loam but its main caracteristic was the presence of a permanent water table within reach of the roots. Vine water status was evaluated throughout the season by measurements of leaf water potential Ψ. Additional measurements of soil water content were executed by means of a TDR moisture probe (Time Domaine Reflectometry). Water uptake of the vines showed great differences on the three plots. On the plot A, water uptake of the vines diminished brutally from June (pre-dawn Ψ= -0,2 MPa) through September (pre-dawn Ψ= -1,0 MPa); measurements of stomatal conductance in early September showed that stomata remained practically closed throughout the day. On the plot N, water was easily available to the vines throughout the summer. Pre-dawn leaf water potential remained between 0 and -0,2 MPa from June till September. Stomatal conductance, measured in early September, was high. On L, vine water status was intermediate: pre-dawn leaf water potential declined throughout the season, but not as dramatically as on A. Stomatal conductance, measured in early September, was intermediate between N and A. Water availability had a clear effect on vegetative growth. Growth slackening occured early in the season on A and late on N. On plot A, berries were smaller and showed high sugar and anthocyanin concentration and low malic acid content. Wine from A, obtained by mini-vinification (3,5 hl), was rich in alcohol, anthocyanins and tanins. On N, berries had a low sugar and anthocyanin content. Wine from grapes grown on N was poor in alcohol and polyphenolics. Berry and wine composition was intermediate on L.</p>

Shoot growth of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapevine varieties

“…Several authors reported that temperature, water and nutrient availability play important roles in the induction of shoot growth cessation (Koundouras et al, 1999;Leeuwen et al, 2004;Coipel et al, 2006). In addition, photoperiod (Wake & Fennell, 2000;Heide, 2008;Garris et al, 2009;Victor et al, 2010) and probably thermoperiod (Olsen, 2010;Tanino et al, 2010) also play important roles.…”

“…Depending on the climatic conditions, the vegetative growth of the shoots ceases during veraison (Leeuwen et al, 2004;Cloete et al, 2006). This behavior benefits the metabolic and biochemical processes, by predominantly transferring compounds produced by photosynthesis, for berry ripening (Fournioux, 1997;Koundouras et al, 1999;Robinson & Davies, 2000;Conde et al, 2007). The identification of this period and of its inducing factors could provide indicators of the adaptation of a variety to the planting locality (Garris et al, 2009).…”

“…However, the factors responsible for this induction vary for each growing condition. In the Mediterranean region, water deficit can cause shoot growth cessation during grape ripening (Tregoat et al, 2002;Leeuwen et al, 2004;Gachons et al, 2005) or even before veraison (Koundouras et al, 1999).…”

Application of crop modelling to portuguese viticulture: implementation and added-values for strategic planning

“…Precipitation is another important element, which widely controls soil water availability affecting grapevine water use (Ferreira et al, 2012). Overall, high-quality wines are associated to moderate water stress during maturation (Koundouras et al, 1999;van Leeuwen et al, 2004;Storchi et al, 2005). A severe water stress during early stages may considerably delay growth and grapevine development (Hardie and Considine, 1976).…”

“…This warming leads to longer growing seasons but earlier phenological events (Chuine et al, 2004;Dalla Marta et al, 2010;Bock et al, 2011), which may have harmful impacts on wine quality (Webb et al, 2008a). Some regions are projected to become excessively dry to grapevine production without adequate irrigation (Kenny and Harrison, 1992;Koundouras et al, 1999;Malheiro et al, 2010;Santos et al, 2013). All these factors suggest a general lowering of the suitability of the winemaking regions in southern Europe (Stock et al, 2005;Malheiro et al, 2010;Santos et al, 2012;Fraga et al, 2013).…”