Influence of Repeated Applications of 2,4-D on Yield and Juice Quality of Concord Grapes (Vitis labruscana)

Abstract

In two field experiments over a 4-yr period, 2,4-D amine applied up to four times per year from late April to early June at 2.5, 10, and 25 ppmw produced a wide range of symptoms on ‘Concord’ grapes. When 2,4-D symptoms in July were severe, yields were reduced by as much as 85%. However, when 2,4-D symptoms in July were slight (less than 2 on a 0 to 6 visual scale), grape yields were not reduced. A second-order polynomial described well (R2= 0.92) the relationship between symptoms and grape yield. Symptoms of 2,4-D on grape leaves did not persist beyond the year of treatment, although grape yields did not recover fully until the second year after the last 2,4-D treatment In the first year of 2,4-D treatments, low grape yields were correlated with reduced weight and number of berries per cluster. In the second and third year of treatment, low grape yields were correlated with fewer clusters per shoot in addition to lower cluster weight and fewer berries per cluster. When 2,4-D was applied one year only, soluble solids in the grape juice were reduced as much as 9%, although reductions were not related to severity of foliar symptoms. When 2,4-D was applied for three consecutive years, soluble solids in the juice were consistently higher in grapes with moderate to severe 2,4-D symptoms. There were no consistent effects of 2,4-D on juice color or titratable acidity. The pH of fresh juice was increased slightly by 2,4-D with the maximum being 10% after 3 yr of consecutive treatments. In the first subsequent non-treatment year after 3 yr of 2,4-D treatments, juice quality was similar to the quality of nontreated grapes. At a detection limit of 0.05 ppmw, 2,4-D was not detected in the harvested grapes. Based on the results of these experiments, grapes with slight 2,4-D symptoms would not be expected to have reduced yields or reduced juice quality.