Large-scale water balance indicators for different pruning dates of tropical wine grape

Antônio Heriberto De Castro Teixeira,Jorge Tonietto,Janice Freitas Leivas

doi:10.1590/s0100-204x2016000700008

Antônio Heriberto De Castro Teixeira, Jorge Tonietto + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-204x2016000700008

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Abstract

Abstract: The objective of this work was to develop and apply water balance indicators to be scaled up in the wine grape (Vitis vinifera) growing regions of the municipalities of Petrolina and Juazeiro, in the states of Pernambuco and Bahia, respectively, Brazil, simulating different pruning dates along the year. Previous energy balance measurements were used to relate the crop coefficient (Kc) with the accumulated degree-days (DDac). This model was applied to scale up the water balance indicators during the growing seasons. When irrigation water was available, the best pruning periods were from May to July, due to the better natural thermal and hidrological conditions. More care should be taken for pruning done in other periods of the year, regarding the effect of increasing thermal conditions of wine quality. The water balance indicators, both successfully developed and applied, allow large-scale analyses of the thermohydrological conditions for wine grape production under the semiarid conditions of the Brazilian Northeast.

Highlights

In wine grape (Vitis vinifera L.) crops, plant phenology, wine quality, and yield are very dependent on the climate at regional, local, and microclimatic scales (Jones & Webb, 2010; Fraga et al, 2012, 2014; Lorenzo et al, 2016)
These stations are spread in the municipalities of Petrolina and Juazeiro, in the states of Pernambuco and Bahia, Brazil – seven of them are located inside irrigated farms and the other seven on areas with natural vegetation, called Caatinga
Regarding air temperature for a growing season (TGS), the lowest values were registered during the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, while the highest ones were found when the sun was around the zenith position over the Brazilian tropical wine grape growing region

Summary

Introduction

In wine grape (Vitis vinifera L.) crops, plant phenology, wine quality, and yield are very dependent on the climate at regional, local, and microclimatic scales (Jones & Webb, 2010; Fraga et al, 2012, 2014; Lorenzo et al, 2016). For all these scales, it is becoming more and more important to consider grape site selection, cultural practices, and water management, which are essential for potential adaptations to different climate scenarios (Malheiro et al, 2010; Dunn et al, 2015; Neethling et al, 2015; Tóth & Végvári, 2016). Other key secondary thermal effects include the increased risks of pests and diseases, such as downy and powdery mildew, especially under rainy conditions

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