Abstract
Cover crops and no-till (mown) systems provide multiple benefits to vineyard soils such as improvements in soil organic matter and reductions in erosion and dust generation. Understanding effects of such practices on grape attributes will contribute to sustainability of the production system. This was a study on the response of grape anthocyanin in ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ clone 8 to two rootstocks (420A, low vigor and 110R, high vigor; planted in 1994) and three vineyard floor management regimes: tilled resident vegetation (RV+till), and barley cover crops that were either tilled (CC+till) or mowed (CC+mow) during 2003–2005 (Oakville, CA, USA). Grape anthocyanin composition was analyzed after the second year (2005) of vineyard floor managements. CC+mow (no tillage practice) produced grapes that were smaller in size (124g for 100 berries) than the CC+till (135g for 100 berries) and higher in anthocyanin (135.4mg 100g−1) than both tillage managements (RV+till, 124.7mg 100g−1 and CC+till, 122.7mg 100g−1). Berry anthocyanin was not altered by rootstock. Increase in anthocyanin due to mowing was observed as early as at véraison (first sampling point), which remained higher until harvest. Mowing vineyard floors is a sustainable agricultural practice offering the added benefit of greater pigment accumulation in winegrapes.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
