Effects of Water Stress on Vegetative Growth and ‘Merlot’ Grapevine Yield in a Semi-Arid Mediterranean Climate

Juan L. Chacón-Vozmediano,Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta,Jesús Martínez-Gascueña,Francisco J. García-Navarro

doi:10.3390/horticulturae6040095

Juan L. Chacón-Vozmediano, Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6040095

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Abstract

Water stress is considered to be the most influential type of abiotic stress to which plants may be exposed. In grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.), it is a common practice to keep plants under water stress at different stages of the season with the aim of reducing yield and improving the composition of the fruit. The objective of this study was to evaluate foliar development and yield of ‘Merlot’ grapevines grown in the field when they are subjected to different levels of water stress in a semi-arid Mediterranean climate. Four treatments with different levels of water stress were applied during two phenological intervals (flowering-veraison and veraison-maturity) to 128 grapevines for a period of two consecutive years. The levels of water stress were none-light, light-moderate, moderate-intense, and intense-intense for the flowering-veraison and veraison-maturity intervals, respectively. The results revealed that the total leaf area, the exposed leaf area, and the yield all decreased as the degree of water stress increased. The weight of the berry was a decisive factor in determining yield. The least restrictive water regime treatment gave the heaviest berries and bunches and, as a result, the highest yields.

Highlights

The most common types of abiotic stress to which plants may be exposed include drought, salinity, soil acidification, high temperatures, and high radiation
The aim of this study was to gain a more detailed knowledge of the changes that occur in the vegetative growth and, as a consequence, in the yield of ‘Merlot’ grapevines when they are subjected to different levels of water stress during two key phenological intervals under semi-arid Mediterranean climate conditions and in La Mancha Designation of Origin (DO) in particular
The total leaf area (TLA) generally decreased as the level of water stress experienced by the grapevines in the different treatments increased, with both years showing significant differences (Table 3)

Summary

Introduction

The most common types of abiotic stress to which plants may be exposed include drought (water stress), salinity, soil acidification, high temperatures, and high radiation. When plants are grown in field conditions it is difficult to discriminate the individual impacts of each environmental factor as all are interrelated [1]. Of all types of abiotic stress, the most influential is water stress, which is produced by a water deficit in plant tissues. The high importance of water stress is due to the fact that water is an essential chemical substance for the photosynthetic process given that it is the first electron donor. When tissue dehydration exceeds a critical level, a series of irreversible changes in the plant cause death Water ensures a plethora of metabolic functions as it participates in biochemical reactions and transports synthesized materials and products and, through evaporation, protects against warming [2].

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