Comparing Methods for the Analysis of δ13C in Falanghina Grape Must from Different Pedoclimatic Conditions

Nicola Damiano,Giovanna Battipaglia,Simona Altieri,Veronica De Micco

doi:10.3390/horticulturae8030226

Nicola Damiano, Giovanna Battipaglia + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8030226

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Abstract

Agroforestry applications in viticulture are considered a promising strategy to improve vine water status by mitigating the threats of increasing drought due to climate change. The analysis of δ¹³C is often used in viticulture to understand vine water use. In this study, the analysis of δ¹³C was performed on the must of Falanghina grapevines growing in different pedoclimatic conditions. The aim was to compare the results obtained by the application of two different methodologies, using the whole must or extracted sugars as the matrix. The results showed that the δ¹³C values obtained by applying the two methodologies were comparable in all analyzed vineyards independently from the pedoclimatic conditions. Indeed, the proposed method of extraction of the δ¹³C on the must as a whole can be both cost- and time-saving for the analysis. This is valuable, considering that the δ¹³C of must is becoming more and more used as indicator of vines’ water use. Therefore, the possibility to utilize a simplified method of extraction would enhance the application of the δ¹³C at a larger scale to evaluate vine adaptation in the context of climate-change-driven increases in drought.

Highlights

Ongoing climate change in the Mediterranean region is exposing plants to more and more extreme environmental conditions, such as frequent, prolonged, and severe periods of water scarcity, high temperatures, and strong winds [1]
There were no significant differences between the δ13 C values obtained with the two methods for all the analyzed vineyards (Figure 2)
The comparison between data obtained by the two matrixes showed that the same trends of δ13 C values among the samples from the different pedoclimatic conditions were found, and no statistical differences in the absolute values, reinforcing the idea to utilize directly must as a whole for δ13 C analyses

Summary

Introduction

Ongoing climate change in the Mediterranean region is exposing plants to more and more extreme environmental conditions, such as frequent, prolonged, and severe periods of water scarcity, high temperatures, and strong winds [1]. Vinifera) is a crop cultivated in the rainfed regime in many Mediterranean cultivation areas, as requested by the production disciplinary of quality and origin labels. This crop is facing increasing problems due to drought-stress during summer, when high evapotranspiration is accompanied by very low precipitation. This phenomenon might endanger viticultural suitability of the traditional wineproducing areas, with the risk of a reconfiguration of vineyard locations, especially in Mediterranean cultivation areas [2] It has been recently underlined by Favor and Udawatta et al [3] that agroforestry applications in viticulture are instead promising, severely overlooked.

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