Abstract
Growers are concerned about the negative impacts on vine yield and berry quality caused by global warming. Irrigation systems are increasingly being installed in vineyards in order to counteract those problems. Therefore, an efficient irrigation management is required. In this context, a field experiment was carried out over three years (2012-2014) on red Vitis vinifera (L.) cv. ‘Brancellao’ and ‘Souson’ in order to assess the effects of supplementary irrigation on vine performance and must and wine composition. Rain-fed vines were compared with a treatment irrigated to 40% of potential evapotranspiration (ET0) from bloom to two/three weeks before harvest. Both cultivars showed less negative stem water potentials under irrigation than under rain-fed conditions; however, stomatal conductance was similar between treatments. Yield was unaffected by irrigation, whereas pruning weight tended to increase in both cultivars. Must and wine composition, including amino acids and volatile compound concentrations, were mostly unaffected by irrigation. Water productivity was higher under rain-fed conditions and, as a consequence, gross incomes were not increased by irrigation. Therefore, irrigation does not seem an economically viable agricultural practice under the conditions of this trial.
Highlights
Global warming predictions estimate reductions in rainfall and increasing evapotranspiration for the near future (IPCC, 2014)
A summary of the total values for the climate variables recorded at this site can be found in Trigo-Córdoba et al (2015); briefly, the driest year was 2012 with 841 mm of annual rainfall, slightly lower than the 900 mm average for the area
Due to the fact that concentration index (CCI) is directly correlated to extractable chlorophyll content (Richardson et al, 2002), our results suggest that leaf chlorophyll in the two cultivars studied was very sensitive to slight changes in vine water status
Summary
Global warming predictions estimate reductions in rainfall and increasing evapotranspiration for the near future (IPCC, 2014). Modifications in the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall (Mirás-Avalos et al., 2009) as well as temperature increases (Cruz et al, 2009) have already been reported in Galicia (NW Spain) These changes might cause that grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars adapted to temperate and cool climates reach their maximum temperature threshold and lose their specific organoleptic. The negative impacts of water deficit on vine growth, yield and the need to secure and stabilize production (Gouveia et al, 2012) have raised vinegrowers concern for using irrigation in their vineyards, even in humid regions such as northwest Iberian Peninsula. The need for customizing irrigation according to cultivar and region of production has been highlighted (Basile et al, 2012)
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