terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Second pruning as a strategy to delay maturation in cv. ‘Touriga nacional’ in the Portuguese Douro region

Second pruning as a strategy to delay maturation in cv. ‘Touriga nacional’ in the Portuguese Douro region

Abstract

The advance in maturation of wine grapes is an important climate change risk related effect that could affect warm regions like Portuguese Douro Wine Region. Indeed, the climate analysis over the past years registered a decrease in the precipitation, significant higher average temperatures, and a more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events, including heat waves. In these conditions the length from anthesis until maturation is shortened and the uncoupling of technical and phenolic maturity results in berries with higher sugar concentration (and lower acidity), but lower anthocyanins, tannins, and total phenolic concentration, which produce unbalanced wines.
In this work, an innovative strategy of crop forcing, based on forcing vine regrowth after a second pruning of green shoots, was tested, aimed at delaying ripening until the temperature becomes lower and, therefore, preventing acidity loss and increasing anthocyanin-to-sugar ratio. The experiments were conducted in 2019 and 2020 in a commercial vineyard of ‘Touriga Nacional’ located in the Douro Region. Crop forcing was conducted 15 (CF1) to 30 (CF2) days after fruit set. Vines pruned with conventional methods were used as control (CF0). Results confirmed that fruit ripening was shifted from the hot season (August/September), until a cooler period (October through early-November). At harvest, grapevine berries from CF1 and CF2 presented lower pH and higher acidity, than control, with no significant differences in colour intensity and phenolic levels composition. Sugar content was lower in CF2-treated vines in both seasons. However, in CF-treated vines the number and size of clusters were significantly lower (up to 88% reduction) than in control plants. A metabolomics analysis of mature berries from CF-treated vines and control is underway. Crop forcing was indeed effective in producing a more balance berry composition but severely reduced grapevine yield,

 

DOI:

Publication date: May 31, 2022

Issue: Terclim 2022

Type: Poster

Authors

Inês L. Cabral1, António Teixeira3, Joana Valente2, Fernando Alves2, Frank S. Rogerson2, Susana M.P. Carvalho1, Hernâni Gerós3 and Jorge Queiroz1

1GreenUPorto – Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre / Inov4Agro, DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
2Symington Family Estates, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
3Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), Department of Biological Engineering, Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

Contact the author

Keywords

berry composition, climate change, fruit ripening, grapevine, yield

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terclim 2022

Citation

Related articles…

Photoprotective extracts from agri-food waste to prevent the effect of light in rosé wines 

Light is responsible for adverse reactions in wine including the formation of unpleasant flavors, loss of vitamins or photodegradation of anthocyanins. Among them, the riboflavin degradation leads to the formation of undesirable volatile compounds, known as light-struck taste. These photo-chemical reactions could be avoided by simply using opaque packaging. However, most rosé wines are kept in transparent bottles due to different commercial reasons. Some agri-food waste extracts have been studied for their photoprotective action which turn to be highly correlated with phenolic content [1].

The wine microbial consortium: a real terroir characteristic

Yeast, bacteria, species and strains play a key role in the winemaking process by producing metabolites which determine the sensorial qualities of wine. Therefore microbial population numeration, species identification and strains discrimination from berry surface at harvest to storage in bottle are fundamental.

Climate change, regional adaptation necessities and impact on grape and wine composition – an integrated view on a moving target

Grapevines are cultivated on 6 out of 7 continents, roughly between latitudes 4° and 56° in the Northern Hemisphere and between 6° and 42° in the Southern Hemisphere across a large diversity of climates (oceanic, warm oceanic, transition temperate, continental, cold continental, Mediterranean, subtropical, attenuated tropical, and arid climates).

Comportement phénologique et végétatif de la cv “Italia” en rapport an climat dans les deux zones typiques de viticulture de table en Sicile

Le travail a le but de contribuer à faire connaître l’influence du milieu, en particulier le climat, sur l’expression génétique de la variété Italia en Sicile.
L’etude a étè effectué durant six années, du 1992 au 1997

Application of an in vitro digestion model to study the bioaccessibility and the effect of the intestinal microbiota on the red wine proanthocyanidins 

Proanthocyanidins are important phenolic fraction for wine quality, contributing to astringency, bitterness and color. Their metabolism begins in the mouth and continues throughout the gastrointestinal tract; however, most of them are accumulated in the colon where are metabolized by the intestinal microbiota, giving rise to a whole series of phenolic acids that may have greater activity at physiological level than the precursors[1]. This study aimed to evaluate in vitro the bioaccessibility of proanthocyanidins in a red wine developed by Bodegas Pradorey, as well as to evaluate the potential effect of intestinal microbiota on polyphenols metabolism identifying and quantifying secondary metabolites.