Relevance of the Lin's and Host hydropedological models to predict grape yield and wine quality

Abstract

Abstract. The adoption of precision agriculture in viticulture could be greatly enhanced by the diffusion of straightforward and easy to be applied hydropedological models, able to predict the spatial variability of available soil water. The Lin's and Host hydropedological models were applied to standard soil series descriptions and hillslope position, to predict the distribution of hydrological functional units in two vineyard and their relevance for grape yield and wine quality. A threeyears trial was carried out in Chianti (Central Italy) on Sangiovese. The soils of the vineyards differentiated in structure, porosity and related hydropedological characteristics, as well as in salinity. Soil spatial variability was deeply affected by earth movement carried out before vine plantation. Six plots were selected in the different hydrological functional units of the two vineyards, that is, at summit, backslope and footslope morphological positions, to monitor soil hydrology, grape production and wine quality. Plot selection was based upon a cluster analysis of local slope, topographic wetness index (TWI), and cumulative moisture up to the root limiting layer, appreciated by means of a detailed combined geophysical survey. Water content, redox processes and temperature were monitored, as well as yield, phenological phases, and chemical analysis of grapes. The isotopic ratio δ 13 C was measured in the wine ethanol upon harvesting to evaluate the degree of stress suffered by vines. The grapes in each plot were collected for wine making in small barrels. The wines obtained were analysed and submitted to a blind organoleptic testing.The results demonstrated that the combined application of the two hydropedological models can be used for the prevision of the moisture status of soils cultivated with grape during summertime in Mediterranean climate. As correctly foreseen by the models, the amount of mean daily transpirable soil water (TSW) during the growing season differed con- Both Sangiovese grape yield and quality of wine were influenced by the interaction between TSW content and salinity, sometimes contrary to expectations. Therefore, the studied hydropedological models were not relevant to predict grape yield and wine quality in all the hydrological functional units. The diffusion of hydropedological models in precision viticulture could be boosted considering salinity along with topography and soil hydrological characteristics.

The use of soil electrical resistivity to monitor plant and soil water relationships in vineyards

“…Roots are not uniformly distributed in the soil, water availability is heterogeneous in space and time, and such heterogeneity affects plant physiology at the whole-plant level. Finally it has been observed that plants, including grapevines (Costantini et al, 2009), can absorb water at lower levels than the theoretical wilting point (i.e. −15 kPa).…”

“…Grapes also ripen faster on clayey soils. In Tuscany, moderately saline soils have been shown to produce the best wines (as evaluated by a sensory panel) even if water is not limited, probably because the lower osmotic potential induces a moderate water deficit, as measured by δ 13 C (Costantini et al, 2009(Costantini et al, , 2010. Soil texture modifies the plant's response to drought, as shown by Tramontini et al (2012), who studied the effect of texture on grapevine physiology in neighbouring soils during the same vintage.…”

High-resolution imaging of a vineyard in south of France using ground-penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction and electrical resistivity tomography

“…In other respects, soil compaction caused by tillage operations and machine traffic in vineyards is also likely to have effects on vine growth and grape production (Legros et al, 1998;Coulouma et al, 2006;Lagacherie et al, 2006). As a result, detailed characterization of the spatial variation of soil hydrogeophysical properties is of prime importance for the definition of optimal vineyard management practices (Bramley and Hamilton, 2007;van Leeuwen et al, 2008;Costantini et al, 2009).…”

Daily prediction of seasonal grapevine production in the Douro wine region based on favourable meteorological conditions

“…In the Douro, heat and water stress at critical periods of the growing season represent a major constraint for wine quality and production (Hardie and Considine , Moutinho‐Pereira et al ). Other important forcing factors remain invariant between years, such as soils, cultural practices and cultivars grown (Hedberg and Raison , Fidelibus et al , Costantini et al , Renouf et al , Kamiloglu , Tardaguila et al , Fraga et al ). The relevance of climate and weather conditions for wine production in the DDR is highlighted by the existence of a ranking system for vineyard plots (from A, the best class, to F), in which climate has a strong weight.…”