Shot Positions Research Articles

Fruit Position on Tree Canopy Affects Fruit Quality Traits in ‘Sanguinelli’ Blood Oranges

In modern orchard systems, the tree canopy is designed to ensure homogeneity in fruit quality. However, even in those crops there are some variables that affect the fruit maturation process and fruit quality properties. The aim of this work was to determine if canopy layer (upper vs. lower), fruit shoot position (grouped vs. individual) and orientation (west vs. east) affect fruit quality attributes of ‘Sanguinelli’ blood oranges. Thus, different quality traits, such as weight, internal colour (IC), external colour (EC), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and maturity index (MI) were determined for this purpose. Results showed that fruit weight, internal colour, TA and MI were influenced by the number of fruits per shoot. In this sense, the highest values of weight, IC and MI were found in the grouped fruits, while the highest values in TA were in the individual fruits. Regarding the EC and TSS, they were strongly related to the canopy layer, since the highest values were found in fruit located at the upper parts of the canopy. On the contrary, the orientation did not have a significant effect on fruit quality properties. Therefore, consistent differences in quality traits of ‘Sanguinelli’ blood oranges fruits were observed depending on canopy layer and number of fruits per shoot.

Canopy Architecture and Sun Exposure Influence Berry Cluster-Water Relations in the Grapevine Variety Muscat of Alexandria.

Climate-change-related increases in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves affect viticulture, leading to losses in yield and grape quality. We assessed whether canopy-architecture manipulation mitigates the effects of summer stress in a Mediterranean vineyard. The Vitis vinifera L variety Muscat of Alexandria plants were monitored during 2019-2020. Two canopy shoot-positioning treatments were applied: vertical shoot positioning (VSP) and modulated shoot positioning (MSP). In MSP, the west-side upper foliage was released to promote partial shoot leaning, shading the clusters. Clusters were sampled at pea size (PS), veraison (VER), and full maturation (FM). Measurements included rachis anatomy and hydraulic conductance (Kh) and aquaporins (AQP) and stress-related genes expression in cluster tissues. The results show significant seasonal and interannual differences in Kh and vascular anatomy. At VER, the Kh of the rachis and rachis+pedicel and the xylem diameter decreased but were unaffected by treatments. The phloem-xylem ratio was either increased (2019) or reduced (2020) in MSP compared to VSP. Most AQPs were down-regulated at FM in pedicels and up-regulated at VER in pulp. A potential maturation shift in MSP was observed and confirmed by the up-regulation of several stress-related genes in all tissues. The study pinpoints the role of canopy architecture in berry-water relations and stress response during ripening.

Pneumatic spray delivery-based fixed spray system configuration optimization for efficient agrochemical application in modern vineyards.

The hydraulic spray delivery (HSD)-based solid set canopy delivery system (SSCDS) emitter configuration has been optimized for agrochemical applications in vertical shoot position (VSP) vineyards. It uses cost-prohibitive emitters, and their placement restricts the mechanical pruning activities. Therefore, this study focused on optimizing the spray performance of a pneumatic spray delivery (PSD)-based SSCDS variant that addresses the earlier issues. Three PSD-SSCDS emitter configurations (C1-C3) were designed using modified low-cost emitters (E1: modified flat fan, E2: 90° modular flat fan) for agrochemical applications in VSP vineyards. C1 had an E1 installed on trellis posts at 1.67 m above ground level. C2 had a pair of E2 installed per vine at 0.3 m below the cordon, while C3 combined the emitter placement of C1 and C2. The spray deposition (ng cm-2) and coverage (%) were quantified (mean ± standard error) using mylar cards and water-sensitive paper samplers placed within the canopy, respectively. Spray deposition for C1, C2, and C3 was 301.12 ± 63.30, 347.9 ± 66.29, and 837.6 ± 92.53 ng cm-2, respectively. Whereas spray coverage for corresponding configurations was 18.02 ± 2.63, 8.98 ± 1.84, and 28.84 ± 2.46%, respectively. Overall, configuration C3 provided significantly higher spray deposition and coverage than C1 and C2. Substantially reduced system installation cost and emitter density per hectare with improved spray performance were achieved by C3 compared to earlier optimized HSD-SSCDS configuration in the VSP vineyards. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Tactical factors that influence shooting success in the Chinese Football Association Super League

This study aimed to investigate the tactical factors influencing shooting success in the Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL). The data set comprised 5914 shooting actions collected from all 240 matches in the CSL 2018 season, featuring 16 different teams. The variables assessed included pass number (PN), playing minute (M), match status (MS), final passing area (FPA), regaining possession position (RPP), offense category (OC), and shooting position (SP). To distinguish the attacking patterns of teams of varying strengths, all 16 teams were clustered into two groups based on two contextual factors: their starting season budgets and their rankings at the end of the season. Firstly, a descriptive analysis was conducted, followed by the application of a binomial-logit model ( p < 0.05). The Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) method was employed to evaluate the factors impacting shooting success. The results revealed that: (1) Match status ( p = 0.0412), regaining possession position ( p = 0.0002), and shooting position ( p = 0.0001) play important roles in shooting success for all teams. (2) For strong teams, the offense category ( p = 0.0031) and the final passing area ( p = 0.0027) also have an important influence on shooting success. (3) The tactics of the weak teams should focus especially on the final passing area ( p = 0.0388) before shooting at the goal. These findings can provide guidance for coaches in developing more effective scoring strategies or defensive tactics and tailoring them appropriately to the strengths and weaknesses of their respective teams.

Sucrose and Mannans Affect Arabidopsis Shoot Gravitropism at the Cell Wall Level.

Gravitropism is the plant organ bending in response to gravity. Gravitropism, phototropism and sufficient mechanical strength define the optimal position of young shoots for photosynthesis. Etiolated wild-type Arabidopsis seedlings grown horizontally in the presence of sucrose had a lot more upright hypocotyls than seedlings grown without sucrose. We studied the mechanism of this effect at the level of cell wall biomechanics and biochemistry. Sucrose strengthened the bases of hypocotyls and decreased the content of mannans in their cell walls. As sucrose is known to increase the gravitropic bending of hypocotyls, and mannans have recently been shown to interfere with this process, we examined if the effect of sucrose on shoot gravitropism could be partially mediated by mannans. We compared cell wall biomechanics and metabolomics of hypocotyls at the early steps of gravitropic bending in Col-0 plants grown with sucrose and mannan-deficient mutant seedlings. Sucrose and mannans affected gravitropic bending via different mechanisms. Sucrose exerted its effect through cell wall-loosening proteins, while mannans changed the walls' viscoelasticity. Our data highlight the complexity of shoot gravitropism control at the cell wall level.

Open-Format Prescription Maps for Variable Rate Spraying in Orchard Farming

Highlights Straightforward procedure to code prescription maps independent of manufacturers. Methodology suitable for orchard crops and vineyards including pressures up to 10 bar and flowrates up to 100 L/min. Algorithm validated for both trellis-based continuous rows and traditional orchard rows of discrete trees. Method scalable to other agricultural operations, such as fertilizing or data registration for auditing purposes. Abstract. The implementation of crop protection solutions contributing to significant reductions in the use and risk of chemical pesticides has motivated the interest of site-specific systems, such as variable rate technologies based on user-set prescriptions. However, the practical implementation of variable rates has been dissuasive for many growers who are not familiar with digital solutions, as proprietary firmware is often difficult to grasp. This paper presents a method for formatting prescription maps that is independent of manufacturers, can be easily and freely implemented by industry and can be adopted by growers not familiar with advanced software tools. The methodology was successfully demonstrated for perennial specialty crops, in particular for trellised vineyards in vertical shoot position and for traditional olive groves. Results showed that the variations within user prescription maps were translated to the fields, but flow errors appeared due to the challenge of measuring flow and pressure in the highly pulsating actuation of pulse-width-modulated (PWM) valves. Such errors diminished with the use of low-volume rates and the optimal selection of the nozzles when adjusted to the real pressure measured in the field. The use cases validated in the field showed the consistency of the method for highly populated prescription maps of 1,221 points/ha accessible to advanced farmers, as well as for modest maps of 80 points/ha within reach of the majority of growers. Keywords: Automated map building, Local tangent plane coordinates, Orchard crop operations, Precision farming, Prescription maps, User-centered approach, Variable rate spraying.

Fire training of cadets of the Military Academy with specific conditions of training under martial law

The activity of law enforcement officers in the National Police entails significant responsibility, requiring them to be highly disciplined and knowledgeable in their work, guided solely by the Constitution of Ukraine and Ukrainian legislation. Human life, honor, and dignity are the most valuable assets in our state. To ensure law and order and protect the lives and health of the population, law enforcement officers undergo relevant training in firearms, tactical, and psychological readiness. Knowledge of firearms training is essential, as when using firearms, a police officer must be well- versed not only in the technical aspects of weapons but also in the legal framework that governs the use of firearms.
 Firearms training in the police is designed to enhance the skills and resilience of cadets in shooting, increase their attentiveness and vigilance, and elevate their level of discipline. Equipped with these skills, cadets can confidently perform their duties, responding promptly to changing situations and fulfilling their professional obligations. In order to learn how to work with firearms, cadets must also acquire skills in tactical and special operations, practicing in creating optimal shooting positions, analyzing and assessing the terrain, conducting shooting, and making quick decisions. Cadets must have a clear understanding of when the use of force is permissible, anticipate the potential consequences, and know how to report the use of firearms to their superiors.
 Although firearms training in the National Police demands a comprehensive set of knowledge and skills, it is of paramount importance, considering that every police officer risks their life in the line of duty to protect the community and its citizens. A well-prepared police officer is the key to successful crime prevention and the preservation of public safety. Therefore, firearms training for cadets in the police is an essential element that ensures the safety of urban residents and fosters proficiency in police operations. Discipline in firearms training is a fundamental aspect of education in institutions of higher learning with specific training conditions. This work emphasizes the significance of this subject overall and the peculiarities of such training in wartime conditions.

A novel deep learning method for on-line monitoring of grate bar defects in sintering machine system

The defective grate bars at the bottom of the sintering machine system pose a serious safety risk to steel enterprises. Cracking and missing of these grate bars lead to severe production accidents and economic losses. Implementation of an efficient defect monitoring system plays a crucial role in ensuring continuous and stable sintering production. This paper presents a novel on-line grate bar defects monitoring method to address the following two key challenges. Firstly, a light-weight location model called Multi Scale Separated Convolutional Attention Network-LiteSeg (MSSCAN-LiteSeg) is proposed to identify the optimal shooting position of the moving trolley and simultaneously segment the horizontal and vertical grate bars. By separating the attention calculation into independent channel spaces, MSSCAN-LiteSeg can effectively handle the imbalanced sample distributions. Secondly, an innovative few-shot segmentation network named Response Forgetting Attention-Hypercorrelation Squeeze Network (RFA-HSNet) is proposed for defect detection by employing a "Forgetting-Enhancing-Recalling" method. Extensive experiments have demonstrated that our method can achieve a precision rate of 93.3% and provide a satisfactory performance in the on-line grate bar defects monitoring system.

A Method for Fast Detecting Shot Deviation and Its Application

During the process of seismic acquisition, due to the undulation of the ground surface and workers operation errors, it is easy to cause the actual position of the shot to deviate from the original design, which has a negative impact on the NMO accuracy and data stacking in the later stage, and even causes construction accidents such as continuous generation of abandoned shots in the field seismic acquisition site. The existing algorithms for the location deviation and correction of shots were generally lack of subjectivity, low automation, low efficiency and low accuracy. After studying the nearest-offset trace properties, this paper proposes a real-time detection of shot position deviation and correction method, which by comparing the consistency of the nearest-offset trace determined by the theoretical first break and actual one, judges the shot position deviation and corrects it. The actual application of this method shows that it fully meets the needs of real-time monitoring the quality of seismic data under the current efficient seismic acquisition conditions, and achieves good application results.

Velocity model calibration for surface microseismic monitoring based on a 3D gently inclined layered equivalent model

Abstract Shale gas has become a major source of natural gas production and has received worldwide attention. Hydraulic fracturing is widely performed to stimulate oil and gas wells with considerable success. Given high-precision microseismic (MS) event locations, we can predict the development trend and region of fracturing and evaluate the stimulation effect, thereby providing technical guidance for subsequent exploitation. An accurate velocity model is essential for MS event positioning. However, simple velocity models, such as the uniform or vertical transverse isotropy (VTI) velocity model, are generally applied to calibrate the velocity model. Despite calibration, the VTI model may still face challenges in obtaining accurate MS event locations. Based on the structural characteristics of shale, we propose a novel local velocity model calibration algorithm for surface MS monitoring. To calibrate the velocity model, the actual strata interfaces are replaced with 3D gently inclined planes. We use very fast simulated annealing to concurrently tune the velocity, depth, and angle parameters of the model. Through the assessment of both the stacked amplitude at the position of the perforation shot and the relocation error of the perforation shot, we determine the ideal velocity model. To evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, we conduct experiments on both a synthetic model and a field dataset, and statistically analyze the location error. The results show that the proposed method obviously reduces the perforation shot relocation error and is well-suited for calibrating velocity models that are close to slightly inhomogeneous layered media.

Consistent benefits of fungicide reduction on arthropod predators and predation rates in viticulture: a five-year experiment

For reliable pest suppression, benefits of habitat management for natural enemies of agricultural pests need to be consistent over time. Unfortunately, most research projects allow only for one or two years of data collection. Here, we present a five-year study on effects of fungicide reduction and altered plant architecture on arthropod abundances and natural pest control in an experimental vineyard. The vineyard rows were divided into eight groups, half of which were trained in vertical shoot position (“trellis system”) and the other half as semi-minimal pruned hedge (“minimal pruning”). Every row was divided in three sections receiving three different plant protection intensities, respectively, with fungicides certified for organic viticulture. In each year we sampled arthropods from the grapevine canopy by standardized leaf collection and beat-sheet sampling, and exposed baits of a major grapevine pest (Lobesia botrana) to assess natural pest control. Arthropods, in particular predators, benefited from reduced fungicide sprayings and in turn promoted natural pest control. In contrast, effects of minimal pruning were less strong, and restricted to the leaf mesofauna, earwigs and leafhoppers. Across the five study years with their variable weather conditions, we conclude that the advantages of reduced fungicide sprayings in fungus-resistant varieties are consistent over time.

Summer pruning in Mediterranean vineyards: is climate change affecting its perception, modalities, and effects?

Summer pruning encompasses a series of operations typically performed on the grapevine during the growing season. This review provides an update on the research conducted over the last 20 years on the modalities and strategies of main summer pruning operations, which include shoot positioning and thinning, shoot trimming, leaf removal, and cluster thinning, with a special focus on their adaptation to climate change occurring in Mediterranean areas. Three main novelties emerged from the survey. First, due to a common need to shelter clusters against overheating and sunburn-related damages, shoot thinning and leaf removal are practices that are now being applied in a much more cautious and conservative manner. Second, the meaning of summer pruning is evolving because operations are being used as precious tools to direct ripening toward a desired direction rather than being received passively. Third, some operations, such as leaf removal, have disclosed very high plasticity, which means that, depending on the timing and modalities of the intervention, yield can be either increased or decreased and ripening anticipated or postponed. In an era where economic and environmental sustainability have to find a good compromise, cluster thinning is increasingly being depicted as an extraordinary operation that should be left to occasional occurrences of overcropping. Moreover, summer pruning is a tool through which growers can, to an extent, exploit the potentialities offered by climate change. For instance, the crop-forcing technique, under the different configurations of single and double cropping within the same season, has been trialed promisingly in several regions and cultivars. The principle of forcing is to unlock the dormant bud during the first year by removing at least the young organs present on the shoot within a time window between the end of the flowering and pea-size stages. In particular, when it is applied in a double-cropping mode, the preliminary results related to Pinot noir, Grenache, Tempranillo, and Maturana tinta indicate that two harvests separated by 30-50 days can be obtained, with the latter having superior quality in terms of a lower level of pH and higher levels of acidity, anthocyanins, and phenolics.

Welding Line Detection Using Point Clouds from Optimal Shooting Position

A method for welding line detection using point cloud data is proposed to automate welding operations combined with a contact sensor. The proposed system targets a fillet weld, in which the joint line between two metal plates attached vertically is welded. In the proposed method, after detecting the position and orientation of two flat plates regarding a single viewpoint as a rough measurement, the flat plates are measured from the optimal shooting position in each plane in detail to detect a precise weld line. When measuring a flat plate from an angle, the 3D point cloud obtained by a depth camera contains measurement errors. For example, a point cloud measuring a plane has a wavy shape or void owing to light reflection. However, by shooting the plane vertically, the point cloud has fewer errors. Using these characteristics, a two-step measurement algorithm for determining weld lines was proposed. The weld line detection results show an improvement of 5 mm compared with the rough and precise measurements. Furthermore, the average measurement error was less than 2.5 mm, and it is possible to narrow the range of the search object contact sensor for welding automation.

Influence of the importance of the point and service tactical position in the shot following the return in men’s and women’s professional padel

The objective of this research was to analyse the shot following the return in men's and women's professional padel according to the importance of the point and the service tactical position. The type of shot following the return, importance of the shot and tactical position of the serving pair were recorded by systematic observation. A total of 2752 points (1431 men's and 1321 women's) from 69 matches played in the 2021 season of the World Padel Tour circuit were used. The results show that while men use more forehand and backhand volleys as shots following the return, women use more trays or smashes and back wall shots. In addition, while the server is the one who plays the most third shots following a straight return in men's padel (forehand and backhand volleys) and women's (forehand volleys and backhand volleys), the server's partner is the one who plays the most third shots following a lob return in the men's category (trays or smashes and back wall shots) and women's category (trays or smashes and back wall shots). Moreover, the importance of the point and the service position are parameters that affect the shot following the return in men's and women's professional padel. Thus, these findings are very novel as it is the first investigation to analyse the shot following the return in professional padel.

Visual Patterns of U16 Athletes and Professional Basketball Players

This work aimed to compare the visual patterns of under 16 (U16) athletes and professional basketball players. The sample was composed of 10 U16 (aged 15.2 ± 0.4 years; 7.1 ± 2.5 years of experience) and 10 professional (aged 27.6 ± 3.7 years; 18.4 ± 4.6 years of experience) basketball players. All athletes were males and right-handed. Each participant performed 50 jump shots from 10 different positions and 5 different angle shots (0°, 45°, 90°, 135° and 180°). Number of fixations, time of first and last fixation, total fixation duration and Quiet Eye (QE) time of all shots were analysed. Overall, results indicated that the U16 group showed greater within-group differences regarding shot positions, last fixation times, shot angles, and first and last fixation times. Additionally, the U16 group presented different visual strategies than those of professional players, with significant differences found for shooting positions and shot angles, particularly for shots performed on the left side of the field, and for QE times. In conclusion, our results add to the understanding that longer fixation times and longer QE time are associated with better jump-shot efficacy, and this relation is evident when comparing players of different age groups.

What Changes Occur in the Brain of Veteran? A Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study

The aims of this study were to assess the common anomalies in the MRI examinations of the heads of soldiers as well as to compare the relative concentration of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) metabolites in the brains of soldiers with those of healthy age-matched controls. Overall, 54 professional male soldiers were included in the study group and 46 healthy, age-matched males were in the control group. The relative values of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), and myoinositol (mI) to creatine (Cr) were assessed. The mean relative concentrations of metabolites were compared between the study and the control group, separately for the frontal and occipital lobes, as well as between the right and left hemispheres within the study group only. The most frequent findings in the head MRI of the soldiers were: asymmetric lateral ventricles and dilated perivascular spaces, enlargement of the subarachnoid spaces, and the presence of cavum septum pellucidum and cavum vergae; the high frequency of sinus disease should also be noted. In the frontal lobes, the mI/Cr ratio was significantly higher (p = 0.005), while the NAA/Cr ratio was lower (p = 0.001), in the group of soldiers (vs. the study group). In the occipital lobes, the NAA/Cr ratio was significantly lower (p = 0.005) in the military personnel and there was a tendency to a higher mI/Cr ratio in the soldiers’ occipital lobes (p = 0.056) (vs. the study group). Comparing the metabolites between the left and right hemispheres in soldiers preferring a right shooting position, a significantly higher mI/Cr (p < 0.001) ratio was observed in the right frontal lobe (vs. the left) and a markedly lower NAA/Cr (p = 0.003) in the right occipital lobe (vs. the left). These changes are associated with astrogliosis and neuronal loss, presumably secondary to repetitive mild traumatic brain injury.

Responses of grapevines to planting density and training systems in semiarid environments

Aim. To investigate the physiological and agrobiological responses of grapevines on different systems of training systems in row plantations depending on the planting density and the possibility of adjusting plants for non-irri- gated crop cultivation under cold semiarid climate. Methods. The field two-way experiment of 2 × 4 was applied to study the effect of two planting density variants (3 × 1.5 m; 3 × 1 m) and four vine training systems (when the horizontal cordon is located at the height of 0.4 m, 0.8 m, 1.2 m, 1.6 m) on the parameters of the leaf area, leaf index, water loss through transpiration, activity of the photosynthetic apparatus of leaves and the yield of Zahrei wine grape cultivar (Vitis vinifera L.). The experiment data were processed using the analysis of variance. Results. The increase in the density of vine row plantations per area units from 3 × 1.5 m to 3 × 1 m enlarges the total leaf area, the exposed leaf area, water loss through transpiration, and yield weight, but these indices decrease in the evaluations per plant. The responses of grapevine to the training systems are similar and independent from the ex- perimental variants of planting density. At the height of the cordon of 0.4 and 0.8 m, the vertical shoot positioning enhances the potential of the photosynthetic capacity of the plantations, but this potential is realized only during the years with lower water deficit for plants. Free-growing shootings on the cordons, located at the height of 1.2 m, form the canopy architecture with relatively low water loss through transpiration which has a positive effect on the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus and yield, especially in dry years. The downward shoot positioning on the cordons of 1.6 m decreases the leaf area of the vines and creates the canopy architecture with increased transpiration which enhances the effect of the water deficit and has a negative effect on the productivity of plants. Conclusions. The agronomic methods of planting and training systems for grapevines ensure the management of the character of spatial shoot location, the formation of certain canopy architecture, and setting the parameters of the leaf area; their optimization mitigates the negative effect of water deficit and provides for adapting the plants for non-irrigated crops under semiarid climate. The positive effect of compacting plantations on crop yield was determined without irrigation in semiarid environments. The variant of planting density of 3 × 1 m decreases the yield on the vines on average by 12.1–31.0 %, as compared to the variant of 3 × 1.5 m. Yet, more dense plantations are remarkable for their yield, which is 18.5–61.3 % higher depending on the training system for vines. Under dry conditions, the most efficient system is the training system with the formation of the horizontal cordon at the height of 1.2 m and free-growing shoots. The system optimizes the leaf area density, and forms the canopy architecture with rather low water loss through transpiration which has a positive effect on the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus of leaves during droughts. Under free growth, the yield of the plantations increases by 4.3–12.3 % on average as compared to the vertical shoot positioning and by 21.3 % – under their downward positioning.

Comparison of straight-ray and curved-ray surface wave tomography approaches in near-surface studies

Abstract. Surface waves are widely used to model shear-wave velocity of the subsurface. Surface wave tomography (SWT) has recently gained popularity for near-surface studies. Some researchers have used straight-ray SWT in which it is assumed that surface waves propagate along the straight line between receiver pairs. Alternatively, curved-ray SWT can be employed by computing the paths between the receiver pairs using a ray-tracing algorithm. The SWT is a well-established method in seismology and has been employed in numerous seismological studies. However, it is important to make a comparison between these two SWT approaches for near-surface applications since the amount of information and the level of complexity in near-surface applications are different from seismological studies. We apply straight-ray and curved-ray SWT to four near-surface examples and compare the results in terms of the quality of the final model and the computational cost. In three examples we optimise the shot positions to obtain an acquisition layout which can produce high coverage of dispersion curves. In the other example, the data have been acquired using a typical seismic exploration 3D acquisition scheme. We show that if the source positions are optimised, the straight-ray can produce S-wave velocity models similar to the curved-ray SWT but with lower computational cost than the curved-ray approach. Otherwise, the improvement of inversion results from curved-ray SWT can be significant.

Beneficial effects of bunch-zone late defoliations and shoot positioning on berry composition and colour components of wines undergoing aging in an organically-managed and rainfed Sangiovese vineyard

In the context of climate change, where high temperatures are frequent in the first phases of ripening, protecting grapevine bunches from solar radiation is essential for preserving berry composition and wine colour. The effects of bunch-zone late defoliations (DEFs) and “semi-ballerina” shoot positioning (SB) on vine physiology and grape and wine quality of organic cv. Sangiovese wines during storage were assessed in two contrasting seasons (2013 and 2014). The treatments altered neither vine physiology (leaf photosynthetic activity and stomatal conductance, stem water potential) nor vine phenology, yield, budburst and fruitfulness. Defoliations imposed at post-veraison (DEF I) and pre-harvest (DEF II), but not shoot positioning imposed at post-veraison, enhanced the concentration of berry skin flavonols at harvest, compared to an untreated control. Late defoliations and SB did not change berry weight, anthocyanins, soluble solids, pH or titratable acidity at harvest. The severity of Botrytis bunch rot was assessed in both seasons. In 2013, it was negligible regardless of the treatment. In 2014 (characterised by higher rainfall and lower average temperatures than in 2013), late defoliations (DEF I and DEF II), especially DEF I, and SB to a minor extent, limited the severity of Botrytis bunch rot. The oenological benefits of late defoliations and shoot positioning were observed during wine storage. These canopy management practices positively influenced wine components (polymeric pigments; namely short polymeric pigments) that might have a marked effect on the final colour intensity, without altering the basic chemical characteristics of the wine. When choosing the timing for carrying out defoliation in order to improve grape quality and bunch rot containment, the meteorological conditions should be properly considered. Our results may contribute to providing further recommendations for canopy management for grape growers who produce organic Sangiovese wines that undergo aging.

Adapting wine grape production to climate change through canopy architecture manipulation and irrigation in warm climates.

Grape growing regions are facing constant warming of the growing season temperature as well as limitations on ground water pumping used for irrigating to overcome water deficits. Trellis systems are utilized to optimize grapevine production, physiology, and berry chemistry. This study aimed to compare 6 trellis systems with 3 levels of applied water amounts based on different replacements of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) in two consecutive seasons. The treatments included a vertical shoot position (VSP), two modified VSPs (VSP60 and VSP80), a single high wire (SH), a high quadrilateral (HQ), and a Guyot pruned VSP (GY) combined with 25%, 50%, and 100% ETc water replacement. The SH had greater yields, whereas HQ was slower to reach full production potential. At harvest in both years, the accumulation of anthocyanin derivatives was enhanced in SH, whereas VSPs decreased them. As crown porosity increased (mostly VSPs), berry flavonol concentration and likewise molar % of quercetin in berries increased. Conversely, as leaf area increased, total flavonol concentration and molar % of quercetin decreased, indicating a preferential arrangement of leaf area along the canopy for overexposure of grape berry with VSP types. The irrigation treatments revealed linear trends for components of yield, where greater applied water resulted in larger berry size and likewise greater yield. 25% ETc was able to increase berry anthocyanin and flavonol concentrations. Overall, this study evidenced the efficiency of trellis systems for optimizing production and berry composition in Californian climate, also, the feasibility of using flavonols as the indicator of canopy architecture.