terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 GiESCO 9 Cumulative effect (6 years) of deficit irrigation in two important cultivars of Douro region, Portugal

Cumulative effect (6 years) of deficit irrigation in two important cultivars of Douro region, Portugal

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study – Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of irrigation in improving the grape yield and quality in areas with arid and semiarid climates, particularly in the context of ongoing climate changes. However, the introduction of irrigation in vineyards of the Mediterranean basin is a matter of debate, in particular in those of the Douro Demarcated Region (DDR), due to the limited number of available studies in this region. The present study aimed to evaluate how different irrigation deficits for 6 years would influence production and must quality in Touriga Francesa (TF) and Touriga Nacional (TN) varieties.

Material and methods – Field grown plants of cultivars TF and TN, were tested in a commercial vineyard, at Douro Superior sub-region, between 2015 and 2020. Vineyards are planted in a steep slope area (slope of 45%), in terraces of two rows, in a schistic and acidic soil. Three irrigation regimes were compared to a rain-fed treatment, R0, based on the estimated crop evapotranspiration (ETc): R25 (25% ETc), R50 (50% ETc), R75 (75% ETc). Irrigation was performed every 15 days, based on weather parameters recorded at the meteorological station located in the plot.

Results – Regarding the production, the number of clusters/vine in TN at different irrigation debts were as follows: R0 = R25 = R50 < R75 (11% higher). In turn, the yield was as follows: R75 > R0/R50 > R25.  In TF variety, the lowest number of clusters/vine was registered at R0 (24% lower than at R75), and the yield at all irrigation debts were higher than at R0. Considering the composition of the must of both varieties, evaluated during the six years of the trial, results showed that all irrigation debts did not change the sugar amount, pH and acidity (titratable and malic acid), nor phenolic compounds. In TN, values of pruning mass were higher at R75, while in TF the pruning mass was higher at R50. These results showed that irrigation in DDR did not significantly change berry quality traits and its effect in vine performance was inconsistent, thus suggesting that this agricultural practice should be implemented in a case-by-case scenario, depending on the cultivar, orientation, water holding capacity of the soil, microclimatic conditions, among others.

DOI:

Publication date: June 21, 2023

Issue: GiESCO 2023

Type: Article

Authors

Inês L. CABRAL1, António TEIXEIRA2, Tiago NOGUEIRA3, Susana M.P. CARVALHO1, Hernâni GERÓS2, Jorge QUEIROZ1*

1GreenUPorto – Research Centre on Sustainable Agrifood Production/Inov4Agro & DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences, Campus de Vairão, University of Porto, Rua da Agrária 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal
2Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
3Quinta do Crasto, S.A., 5060-063 Gouvinhas, Portugal

Contact the author*

Keywords

climate change, evapotranspiration, grapevine, must composition, yield

Tags

GiESCO | GIESCO 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Climats: a model of terroir-based winegrowing recognized by UNESCO

In Burgundy, a climat has nothing to do with the weather but accurately designates a named vine plot, often centuries-old, which produces a singular wine. This wine is the combination of history, the natural environment (relief, type of soil, exposure to the sun), a grape variety and know-how going back thousands of years. The grapes of each climat are harvested separately and the wine is made from a single grape variety and has a unique name featured on the bottle. Romanée conti, clos de vougeot, montrachet, musigny, corton…

Lean management to improve sustainability in wine sector: an exploratory study in the Prosecco DOC appellation

The contemporary wine sector confronts a formidable array of challenges, including burgeoning production costs and the constricted availability of natural resources. Heightened consumer awareness regarding sustainability issues further compounds these pressures, compelling companies to adopt more judicious resource utilization strategies. In response to these imperatives, there is a growing recognition of the need to overhaul production methodologies within the wine industry with a view to minimizing inputs and eliminating waste.

Emosensory profile and chemical characterization of wine vinegar from the Douro and Rioja demarcated regions

Wine vinegars have a tangy flavor and are versatile in cooking. They’ve been used since the neolithic period and are now used as microbial inhibitors and acidifiers. They’re low in calories, have antioxidants, and have a long shelf life, but quality may decrease after opening. The objective of this study focuses on the physical-chemical, sensory, and emotional characterization of wine vinegar samples from the douro demarcated region and la rioja. In total, 22 samples of wine vinegar were analyzed at the time of opening.

Where the sky is no limit – the transformation of wine marketing through text-to-video generation AI models

The introduction of ai-driven tools in digital content creation represents a significant shift in the landscape of marketing, particularly for industries reliant on rich visual storytelling such as the wine sector. The development of ai models like openai’s sora, runway’s gen-2 or google’s lumiere, which can generate realistic video content from textual descriptions, offers promising new avenues for enhancing brand narrative and consumer engagement. This research explores the potential of text-to-video (t2v) ai models to revolutionize wine marketing by creating dynamic, engaging content that captures the essence of vineyards and their products without the need for traditional video production processes.

A century of evolution of the rules relating to grape varieties  in the regulation of French wine AOCs

To characterize a wine, the most frequently used criteria describe its color, its origin, the grape varieties from which they come, or even for white wines its residual sugar content (dry, semi-dry, sweet). In france, the system of appellations of origin set up in 1919 was initially based solely on the notoriety and origin of the wines. But given the unfavorable consequences that this lack of details generated, the public authorities quickly integrated in 1927 into the “capus” law criteria for access to designations of origin, relating to the specific characteristics of the soils of the vineyards and the grape varieties used, in particular exclusion of interspecific hybrid varieties. In 1935 the creation of the aoc system confirmed the interest in precisely defining all the production conditions that must be implemented to be able to claim the benefit of an aoc, and grape varieties were an essential condition for acquisition.