Viticulture: Climate Relationships in Greece and Impacts of Recent Climate Trends: Sensitivity to “Effective” Growing Season Definitions

Abstract

AbstractRecent research has shown significant shifts in the phenological stages of grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) due to temperature changes. That study investigated the relation between temperature and harvest time in grape growing regions of Greece. Harvest dates were collected on eight different varieties and regions: four island [Muscat of Alexandria (Limnos), White Muscat (Samos), Assyrtiko (Santorini), Athiri (Rodos)] and four inland [Roditis (Anchialos), Agiorgitiko (Nemea), Mavrodafni (Pyrgos), Xinomauro (Naoussa)] areas. In two cases (Limnos, Pyrgos), must sugar concentration (baumé degrees) were also collected. Climatic primary (precipitation, mean, maximum and minimum temperature) and secondary (growing degree days, diurnal temperature range and extreme events) data were computed for three periods [calendar year, growing season (April–October) and ripening (according to variety)]. The most frequent significant trends of climatic parameters and crop-climate relationships were observed for island regions compared to inland ones. Calendar year and growing season-based analyses presented the most frequently significant viticulture-climate relationships, with mean, maximum air temperature and growing degree days. The direction and magnitude of harvest time responses were not particularly sensitive to the choice of “effective” growing season definition. A negative harvest response was identified for all variables except for DPrec in three island stations and DTmax > 35°C in Rodos.KeywordsGrow SeasonHarvest DateDiurnal Temperature RangeVitis ViniferaRipening PeriodThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.