The effect of transient water deficit on berry development of cv. Shiraz (Vitis vinifera L.)

Abstract

The effects of transient water deficits on berry growth on field-grown grapevines were examined over four consecutive seasons. Varying deficits were achieved by withholding irrigation during four periods of berry development after flowering of Vitis vinifera cv. Shiraz. Water deficit during the period after flowering resulted in the greatest reduction in berry weight compared with that of well-watered vines especially in years with high temperature summation. In contrast, water deficit after veraison had only a minor effect on berry weight at maturity and berries were insensitive to water deficit during the month before harvest. In each of the four seasons, which were climatically diverse, berry growth exhibited a normal double-sigmoid development but with a distinct decline in weight before harvest. The onset of the loss in weight was coincident in all treatments in each year and was not related to the season, the degree of water deficit or to berry size. These findings have implications for yield prediction and for the chemical composition of the crop. Transient water deficit and berry growth

Improving water use efficiency of vineyards in semi-arid regions. A review

“…During the last three decades, more frequent episodes of drought stress and their intensity required the incorporation of water by irrigation as a way to overcome such limitation and to secure more regular and predictable yields (Chaves et al , 2010Flexas et al 2010). However, two considerations need to be taken in account when irrigating grapevines: (i) water requirements are usually high in semi-arid areas thus potentially compromising water resources and sustainability of agricultural practices (FAO 2014) and (ii) yield increases are commonly associated to grape quality reductions, since grape quality usually decreases in response to an excess of vigor creating an unbalance between the reproductive and vegetative organs within plants (Bravdo et al 1985;Dokoozlian and Kliewer 1996;Esteban et al 2001;Matthews et al 1990;McCarthy 1997). Such tradeoff between yield increase/ quality decreases is clearly dependent on environmental conditions, cultivar, and agronomic practices thus requiring widespread experiments on the relationships among grapevine water status, yield, and quality with important presence in the technical and scientific literature (Table 3).…”

Heavy Metals and Micronutrients in the Soil and Grapevine Under Different Irrigation Strategies

“…Irrigation management has been one of the main resources for controlling vegetative vigor of the plant in recent years since composition of the grape berry is strongly affected by the moisture conditions of the grapevine (Dry and Loveys, 1998). Based on this principle, deficit irrigation strategies have been presented, seeking to establish balance between vegetative development and grape yield, without harming the qualitative aspects of the grapes (McCarthy, 1997). In addition, appropriate irrigation management constitutes an excellent opportunity for rational use of water resources.…”

Selecting Canopy Zones and Thresholding Approaches to Assess Grapevine Water Status by Using Aerial and Ground-Based Thermal Imaging

“…Appropriate water use is an important factor for controlling yield and wine quality [1][2][3][4]. Due to current climate change conditions and resulting water resource scarcity, it is necessary to improve vineyard water management, especially in high-quality wine areas, like the central zone of Chile [5].…”