The effect of regulated deficit irrigation on growth, yield, and berry quality of grapevines (cv. Sangiovese) grafted on rootstocks with different resistance to water deficit

Giovanni Caruso,Claudio D’Onofrio,Riccardo Gucci,Giacomo Palai

doi:10.1007/s00271-022-00773-3

Abstract

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of full irrigation (FI), pre-veraison water deficit (RDI 1), or post-veraison water deficit (RDI 2) on growth, yield, and berry quality in container-grown, mature vines of cv. Sangiovese grafted onto either 1103P or SO4 rootstock over two consecutive growing seasons. Deficit irrigation regimes significantly affected vine water status of both rootstocks before and after veraison. Trunk diameter (TD) increment was markedly affected when water was restricted early, but not in the post-veraison period. Deficit irrigation from fruit set to veraison inhibited vegetative growth (TD, canopy volume, and weight of pruned wood) more than that applied from veraison to harvest. Yield was unaffected by either irrigation or rootstock in both years. Irrigation had a marked effect on berry and juice quality: the RDI 1 treatment induced the highest berry anthocyanin concentration, and the lowest titratable acidity (TA), which, instead, increased in the RDI 2 treatment. RDI treatments did not modify berry dry weight, soluble solid content, TA, anthocyanins, and epicarp total phenols in vines on both rootstocks.

Highlights

Productivity and berry quality of Vitis vinifera L., a moderately drought resistant species, change in response to soil water availability during the growing season (Chaves et al 2010; Girona et al 2009; Intrigliolo et al 2016; Romero et al 2010)
In 2018, a 2-year experiment was started on 6-year-old grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) of cultivar Sangiovese grafted on two rootstocks [1103 Paulsen (V. rupestris x V. berlandieri) and Selection Oppenheim 4 (SO4) (V. riparia × V. berlandieri)] grown in 50 L containers (40% peat and 60% silty-loam soil) at the Colignola experimental farm of the Department of Agriculture Food and Environment of the University of Pisa (43.73° N 10.47° E, 5 m a.s.l.)
In 2018, the 1103P rootstock induced a delay in veraison date of 6 (FI and RDI 2), and 11 (RDI 1) days with respect to vines grafted on SO4, whereas in 2019, the date of veraison of RDI 1 only vines was delayed 5 days (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Productivity and berry quality of Vitis vinifera L., a moderately drought resistant species, change in response to soil water availability during the growing season (Chaves et al 2010; Girona et al 2009; Intrigliolo et al 2016; Romero et al 2010). Palliotti et al (2014) reported that water stress applied from fruit set until veraison induced a reduction in internode diameter and length in two cultivars compared to well-watered vines but, while the yieldto-pruning weight ratio was unaffected by water deficit in cv. Sangiovese and Montepulciano have been reported (Tombesi et al 2014)

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Conclusion