Terroir 1996 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Study of grape plant behaviour (cv. Chasselas) on various “terroirs” of the Vaud county (Switzerland)

Study of grape plant behaviour (cv. Chasselas) on various “terroirs” of the Vaud county (Switzerland)

Abstract

[English version below]

L’étude du comportement physiologique et agronomique de la vigne (cv. Chasselas) a été réalisée en 2001 par la Station fédérale de recherches en production végétale de Changins sur divers terroirs viticoles vaudois (Suisse), dans le cadre d’un projet d’étude des terroirs viticoles vaudois en collaboration avec le bureau I LETESSIER (SIGALES) à Grenoble et l’École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Les unités pédologiques définies et représentatives du vignoble (moraines épaisses peu compactes, moraines compactes de pente, colluviosols de bas de pente et peyrosols) ont entraîné des réponses pertinentes du végétal, notamment sur le comportement hydrique de la vigne, l’expression végétative et la vigueur des souches ainsi que sur les caractéristiques qualitatives de la récolte (les moraines représentant plus de 80% de la surface viticole). Le suivi de l’alimentation hydrique de la vigne, effectué au moyen du Ψbase, a montré que le niveau de contrainte hydrique a été faible durant la plus grande partie de la saison 2001 (année humide) sur l’ensemble du vignoble. Néanmoins, les vignes établies sur des sols à réserve utile (RU) et enracinement limités (moraines compactes de pente, moraines sur molasse conglomératique ou gréseuse) ont présenté un niveau de contrainte, qualifiée de modérée durant la maturation du raisin. Les vignes situées sur des colluviosols, des moraines épaisses et peu compactes, et des peyrosols à RU et enracinement plus importants ont été caractérisées par une absence de contrainte hydrique tout au long de la saison. La précocité des terroirs et la vitesse de croissance végétative ont été principalement influencées par le mésoclimat thermique (altitude, inclinaison et orientation des pentes).
L’expression végétative de la vigne, analysée à travers la taille moyenne des feuilles, la biomasse foliaire rognée et l’indice chlorophyllien, ainsi que la vigueur des souches (poids des bois de taille) ont été largement tributaires du réservoir en eau des sols et des conditions, d’alimentation hydrique de la plante durant la saison. Les caractéristiques de la production (poids des baies et des grappes) et de la maturation du raisin ont également été conditionnées par les terroirs. L’accumulation des sucres dans les baies a été influencée par le rapport feuille-fruit ou en d’autres tenues par la SFE/kg de raisin obtenue dans les principaux terroirs. La maîtrise de ce rapport semble déterminante. Les teneurs en acidité totale et en acide malique des moûts ont été plus élevées dans les vignes implantées sur des colluviosols, les autres terroirs indiquant des valeurs plus faibles. Le mésoclimat (principalement l’altitude) a conditionné la teneur en acidité des baies en début de maturation. L’évolution de la teneur en acide tartrique des raisins a été équivalente pour les divers terroirs. Le suivi de l’indice de formol, effectué durant la maturation, a indiqué que l’alimentation en azote des baies a été bonne à élever sur l’ensemble du réseau. Les vignes vigoureuses ont affiché des taux supérieurs de pourriture à la vendange.

In 2001 a study of the physiological and agronomic behavior of grape plant (cv Chasselas) in various “terroirs” of the Vaud county (Switzerland) was performed by the Swiss Federal Research Station for Plant Production of Changins in the frame of the study project “Wine terroirs of Vaud” and in collaboration with the office I. LETESSIER (SIGALES) in Grenoble and the Federal Polytechnic High School of Lausanne (EPFL). The soil composition representative of the units of vineyard – thick and not very compact moraines, sloping and compact moraines, moraines on conglomerate or sandstone (moraines representing more than 80% of vineyard surface), colluvial downhill soils and various stony soils (peyrosoil) – was important for plant response, in particular for the mechanism of water regulation system and for qualitative assessment (growth speed of berries, final weight of berries and bunches, grape maturation). A study of the water supply system to vines, carried out using Ψbase, has shown that water stress levels were low during the greater part of the season 2001 (wet year) over the whole of the vineyards. Nevertheless, moderate stress levels were recorded during the time of grape ripening in vines set on soils with lower useful reservoirs (RU) and shallow root systems (sloping and compact moraines, moraines on conglomerate or sandstone). Vines situated on stony soils with higher RU levels and deeper root systems were characterized by a complete lack of water stress throughout the whole season. The advance in “terroir” plant development and speed of growth were mainly influenced by the thermic mesoclimate (altitude, angle and orientation of slopes). The vegetative outgrowth of the vine (analyzed by average leaf size), clippings of the foliage biomass, the chlorophyll index, together with plant strength (weight of pruned wood) all largely contributed to the soil water reservoir and conditions of water supply to plants during the season of growth. Production characteristics (weight of grapes and bunch of grapes) and fruit ripening were also conditioned by the “terroir”. Sugar accumulation in berries was influenced by the leaf fruit ratio or, in other words, by the SFE/kg of grapes obtained in principle vineyards. The importance of this ratio appears to be determinant. The amounts of total acidity and malic acid in the must were higher in vines planted on colluvial soils, while other “terroirs” indicated lower values. The mesoclimate (essentially the altitude) conditioned acidity levels in the grapes at the start of ripening. The development of tartaric acid levels in grapes was equivalent in the various vineyards. A follow up of the Formol index, carried out during the time of ripening, showed that nitrogen supply to berries was good to high over the whole of the region. Healthy vines boasted higher rates of Botrytis cinerea at harvest.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: February 15, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2002

Type: Article

Authors

V. ZUFFEREY (1), F. MURISIER (1) , Véronique BONNET (3), C. VERDUN (4), D. LOIZEAU (5), J.-L. SPRING (1), C. BRIGUET (2)

(1) Station Fédérale de Recherches en production végétale de Changins, Centre viticole du Caudoz, CH-1009 Pully, Suisse
(2) Prométerre, Avenue des Jordils 1, CH-1000 Lausanne 6, Suisse
(3) ENSA Montpellier, 4) ENSA Rennes, 5) UFR Sciences Angers, France

Keywords

terroirs viticoles, fonctionnement hydrique, expression végétative, qualité des raisins
wine terroir, mechanism of water regulation system, vegetative outgrowth, grape quality

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2002

Citation

Related articles…

Permanent cover cropping with reduced tillage increased resiliency of wine grape vineyards to climate change

Majority of California’s vineyards rely on supplemental irrigation to overcome abiotic stressors. In the context of climate change, increases in growing season temperatures and crop evapotranspiration pose a risk to adaptation of viticulture to climate change. Vineyard cover crops may mitigate soil erosion and preserve water resources; but there is a lack of information on how they contribute to vineyard resiliency under tillage systems. The aim of this study was to identify the optimum combination of cover crop sand tillage without adversely affecting productivity while preserving plant water status. Two experiments in two contrasting climatic regions were conducted with two cover crops, including a permanent short stature grass (P. bulbosa hybrid), barley (Hordeum spp), and resident vegetation under till vs. no-till systems in a Ruby Cabernet (V. vinifera spp.) (Fresno) and a Cabernet Sauvingon (Napa) vineyard. Results indicated that permanent grass under no-till preserved plant available water until E-L stage 17. Consequently, net carbon assimilation of the permanent grass under no-till system was enhanced compared to those with barley and resident vegetation. On the other hand, the barley under no-till system reduced grapevine net carbon assimilation during berry ripening that led to lower content of nonstructural carbohydrates in shoots at dormancy. Components of yield and berry composition including flavonoid profile at either site were not adversely affected by factors studied. Switching to a permanent cover crop under a no-till system also provided a 9% and 3% benefit in cultural practices costs in Fresno and Napa, respectively. The results of this work provides fundamental information to growers in preserving resiliency of vineyard systems in hot and warm climate regions under context of climate change.
Read More

Grapevine yield-gap: identification of environmental limitations by soil and climate zoning in Languedoc-Roussillon region (south of France)

Grapevine yield has been historically overlooked, assuming a strong trade-off between grape yield and wine quality. At present, menaced by climate change, many vineyards in Southern France are far from the quality label threshold, becoming grapevine yield-gaps a major subject of concern. Although yield-gaps are well studied in arable crops, we know very little about grapevine yield-gaps. In the present study, we analysed the environmental component of grapevine yield-gaps linked to climate and soil resources in the Languedoc Roussillon. We used SAFRAN data and IGP Pays d’Oc wine yields from 2010 to 2018. We selected climate and soil indicators proving to have a significant effect on average wine yield-gaps at the municipality scale. The most significant factors of grapevine yield were the Soil Available Water Capacity; followed by the Huglin Index and the Climatic Dryness Index. The Days of Frost; the Soil pH; and the Very Hot Days were also significant. Then, we clustered geographical zones presenting similar indicators, facilitating the identification of resources yield-gaps. We discussed the number of zones with the experts of IGP Pays d’Oc label, obtaining 7 zones with similar limitations for grapevine yield. Finally, we analysed the main resources causing yield-gaps and the grapevine varieties planted on each zone. Mapping grapevine resource yield-gaps are the first stage for understanding grapevine yield-gaps at the regional scale.

Read More

Different soil types and relief influence the quality of Merlot grapes in a relatively small area in the Vipava Valley (Slovenia) in relation to the vine water status

Besides location and microclimatic conditions, soil plays an important role in the quality of grapes and wine. Soil properties influence…

Read More

Geospatial trends of bioclimatic indexes in the topographically complex region of Barolo DOCG

Barolo DOCG is an economically important wine producing region in Northwest Italy. It is a small region of approximately 70 km2 gross area. The topography is very complex with steep sloped hills ranging in elevation from below 200 m to 550 m. Barolo DOCG wine is made exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape. Bioclimatic indexes are often used in viticulture to gain a better understanding of broader climate trends which can be compared temporally and geographically. These indexes are also used for identifying potential phenological timing, growing region suitability, and potential risks associated with expected climatic changes. Understanding how topography influences bioclimatic indexes can help with understanding of mesoscale climate behaviour leading to improved decision making and risk management strategies. The average monthly maximum and minimum temperatures, the Cool Night Index, the Huglin Index, and the monthly diurnal range (from July to October) were calculated using data from 45 weather stations within a 40 km radius of the Barolo DOCG growing area between the years 1996 and 2019. Linear and multiple regression models were developed using independent variables (elevation, aspect, slope) extracted from a digital elevation model to identify significant relationships. Bioclimatic indexes were then kriged with external drift using independent variables that showed significant relationships with the bioclimatic index using a 100 m resolution grid. The maximum monthly temperatures and the Huglin Index showed consistent significant negative relationships with elevation in all years. The minimum monthly temperatures showed no relationship with elevation but in some months a small but significant relationship was observed with aspect. Due to the lack of a relationship between minimum monthly temperatures and elevation compared to the significant relationship between maximum monthly temperatures and elevation, monthly diurnal range had a negative relationship with elevation.

Read More

Assessing the climate change vulnerability of European winegrowing regions by combining exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity indicators

Winegrowing regions recognized as protected designations of origin (PDOs) are closely tied to well defined geographic locations with a specific set of pedoclimatic attributes and strictly regulated by legal specifications. However, climate change is increasingly threatening these regions by changing local conditions and altering winegrowing processes. The vulnerability to these changes is largely heterogenous across different winegrowing regions because it is determined by individual characteristics of each region, including the capacity to adapt to new climatic conditions and the sensitivity to climate change, which depend not only on natural, but also socioeconomic and legal factors. Accurate vulnerability assessments therefore need to combine information about adaptive capacity and climate change sensitivity with projected exposure to new climatic conditions. However, most existing studies focus on specific impacts neglecting important interactions between the different factors that determine climate change vulnerability. Here, we present the first comprehensive vulnerability assessment of European wine PDOs that spatially combines multiple indicators of adaptive capacity and climate change sensitivity with high-resolution climate projections. We found that the climate change vulnerability of PDO areas largely depends on the complex interactions between physical and socioeconomic factors. Homogenous topographic conditions and a narrow varietal spectrum increase climate change vulnerability, while the skills and education of farmers, together with a good economic situation, decrease their vulnerability. Assessments of climate change consequences therefore need to consider multiple variables as well as their interrelations to provide a comprehensive understanding of the expected impacts of climate change on European PDOs. Our results provide the first vulnerability assessment for European winegrowing regions at high spatiotemporal resolution that includes multiple factors related to climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity on the level of single winegrowing regions. They will therefore help to identify hot spots of climate change vulnerability among European PDOs and efficiently direct adaptation strategies.

Read More