Variety-specific response of bulk stomatal conductance of grapevine canopies to changes in net radiation, atmospheric demand, and drought stress.

Abstract

In wine growing regions around the world, climate change has the potential to affect vine transpiration and overall vineyard water use due to related changes in daily atmospheric conditions and soil water deficits. Grapevines control their transpiration in response to such changes by regulating conductance of water through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. The response of bulk stomatal conductance, the vine canopy equivalent of stomatal conductance, to such changes were studied on Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Ugni blanc, and Semillon vines in a non-irrigated vineyard in Bordeaux France. Whole-vine sap flow, temperature and humidity in the vine canopy, and net radiation absorbed by the vine canopy were measured on 15-minute intervals from early July through mid-September 2020, together with periodic measurements of leaf area, canopy porosity, and predawn leaf water potential. From these data, bulk stomatal conductance was calculated on 15-minute intervals, and multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify key variables and their relative effect on conductance. For the regression analysis, attention was focused on addressing non-linearity and collinearity in the explanatory variables and developing a model that was readily interpretable.Variability of vapour pressure deficit in the vine canopy over the day and predawn water potential over the season explained much of the variability in bulk stomatal conductance overall, with relative differences between varieties appearing to be driven in large part by differences in conductance response to predawn water potential between the varieties. Transpiration simulations based on the regression equations found similar differences between varieties in terms of daily and seasonal transpiration. These simulations also compared well with those from an accepted vineyard water balance model, although there appeared to be differences between the two approaches in the rate at which conductance, and hence transpiration is reduced as a function of decreasing soil water content (i.e., increasing water deficit stress). By better characterizing the response of bulk stomatal conductance, the dynamics of vine transpiration can be better parameterized in vineyard water use modeling of current and future climate scenarios.