GiESCO 2019 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 GiESCO 9 Under trellis cover crop induces grapevine tolerance to bunch rot

Under trellis cover crop induces grapevine tolerance to bunch rot

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study – Botrytis bunch rot occurrence is one of the most important limitations for the wine industry in humid environments. A positive correlation between grapevine growth and susceptibility to fungal pathogens has been found. In theory the effect of grapevine vegetative growth on bunch rot expression results from direct effects (cluster architecture, nitrogen status among others) and indirect ones (via microclimate). However, a reduction in bunch rot incidence can be achieved in some circumstances without major vine growth reduction. The present study was aimed to test the general hypothesis that bunch rot susceptibility is affected by vine vigor, but other factors associated with grapevine vegetative expression could be even more relevant.

Material and methods – The experiment was conducted over three growing seasons in Southern Uruguay. We tested Vertical Shoot Positioned (VSP) versus Lyra trellis systems with conventional flour management consisting alleyway tall fescue with 1.0 m wide weed-free strips under the trellis (VSP-H and Lyra-H), and VSP with under-trellis cover crop (VSP-UTCC). UTCC consists in the full cover of the vineyard soil with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). In all treatments, deficit drip irrigation was provided at mid-day stem potential (SWP) thresholds of -0.9 MPa. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot randomized block design with trellis system (Lyra vs VSP) as main plots and flour management schemes (H vs UTCC) as subplots. Shoot growth rate, SWP, berry size, berry composition (titratable acidity, Brix, and yeast available nitrogen) and bunch rot incidence and severity were monitored over the seasons, as well as final vine yield, cluster weights, berryfirmness and pruning weights.

Results – In VSP-H and Lyra-H treatments Botrytis bunch rot incidence progressively increased with pruning weight per meter of cordon length (PW/m). However, even associated with an increased number of shoots per vine, Lyra significantly reduce vine vigor, average disease occurrence was comparable between both trellis systems. Contrarily, bunch rot incidence was every season remarkably lower in VSP-UTCC compared to Herbicide treatments (Lyra-H and VSP-H) even when vegetative development (shoot elongation rate, PW/m, PAR%) and fruit maturation (TSS, titratable acidity) was compared to Lyra-H. Associated with berry weight, bunch size was significantly reduced by VSP-UTCC treatment.These may underline the important role of cluster architecture in the lower B. cinerea infection. However, the strong difference observed in disease occurrence between UTCC and H treatment in our study could not be explained by just this factor since UTCC also significantly affected other bunch rot infection triggers (reduced juice N levels and increased berry firmness). Botrytis bunch rot is a complex disease, and many of the three-way interactions (host, environment and pathogen) are poorly understood. Our results don’t allow to identify the specific mechanism by which UTCC induced a higher tolerance to botrytis bunch rot, however a clear effect on pathogen or host plant behavior was detected. Its seems to be more related to direct factors than indirect ones associated with canopy microclimate.

DOI:

Publication date: September 20, 2023

Issue: GiESCO 2019

Type: Poster

Authors

Andrés CONIBERTI1*, Virginia FERRARI1, Edgardo DISEGNA1, Mario GARCIA PETILLO2, Alan N. LAKSO3

1 Programa Fruticultura, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Canelones Uruguay
2 Departamento de Suelos y Aguas, Facultad de Agronomia, UdelaR., Montevideo, Uruguay
3 Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Cornell University. Geneva, NY USA

Contact the author

Keywords

Tannat, Botrytis bunch rot, under trellis cover crop, Fescue, vine vigor

Tags

GiESCO | GiESCO 2019 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Mesoclimate impact on Tannat in the Atlantic terroir of Uruguay

The study of climate is relevant as an element conditioning the typicity of a product, its quality and sustainability over the years. The grapevine development and growth and the final grape and wine composition are closely related to temperature, while climate components vary at mesoscale according to topography and/or proximity to large bodies of water. The objective of this work is to assess the mesoclimate of the Atlantic region of Uruguay and to determine the effect of topography and the ocean on temperature and consequently on Tannat grapevine behavior.

Leaf vine content in nutrients and trace elements in La Mancha (Spain) soils: influence of the rootstock

The use of rootstock of American origin has been the classic method of fighting against Phylloxera for more than 100 years. For this reason, it is interesting to establish if different rootstock modifies nutrient composition as well as trace elements content that could be important for determining the traceability of the vine products. A survey of four classic rootstocks (110-Richter, SO4, FERCAL and 1103-Paulsen) and four new ones (M1, M2, M3 and M4) provided by Agromillora Iberia. S.L.U., all of them grafted with the Tempranillo variety, has been carried out during 2019. The eight rootstocks were planted in pots of 500 cc, on three soils with very different characteristics from Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). In the month of July, the leaves were collected and dried in a forced air oven for seven days at 40ºC. Then, the samples were prepared for the analysis determination, carried out by X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry. The results obtained showed that in the case of content in mineral elements in leaf, separated by soil type, we can report the importance of few elements such as Si, Fe, Pb and, especially, Sr. The rootstock does not influence the composition of the vine leaf for the studied elements that are the most important in determining the geochemical footprint of the soil. The influence of the soil can be discriminated according to some elements such as Fe, Pb, Si and, especially, Sr.

Protected Designation of Origin (D.P.O.) Valdepeñas: classification and map of soils

The objective of the work described here is the elaboration of a map of the different types of vineyard soils that to guide the famers in the choice of the most productive vine rootstocks and varieties. 90 vineyard soils profiles were analysed in the entire territory of the Origen Denominations of Valdepeñas. The sampling was carried out in 2018 (June to October) by making a sampling grid, followed by photointerpretation and control in the field. The studied soils can be grouped into 9 different soil types (according to FAO 2006 classification): Leptosols, Regosols, Fluvisols, Gleysols, Cambisols, Calcisols, Luvisols and Anthrosols. A map showing the soil distribution with different type of soils has been made with the ArcGIS program. Regarding to the choice of rootstock, Calcisoles are soils with a high active limestone content, so the rootstocks used in these soils must be resistant to this parameter; Luvisols are deep soils with high clay content, so they will support vigorous rootstocks. Because the cartographic units are composed of two or more subgroups, with are associated in variable proportions, 9 different soil associations have been established; Unit 1: Leptosols, Cambisols and Luvisols (80%, 15% and 5% respectively); Unit 2: Cambisols with Regosols and Luvisols (40%, 30% and 30% respectively); Unit 3: Cambisols and Gleysols with Regosols (40%, 40% and 20% respectively); Unit 4: Regosols with Cambisols, Leptosols and Calcisols (40%, 30%, 15% and 15% respectively); Unit 5: Cambisols, Leptosols, Calcisols and Regosols (25% each of them); Unit 6: Luvisols with Cambisol and Calcisols (80%, 10% and 10% respectively); Unit 7: Luvisols and Calcisols with Cambisols (40%, 40% and 20% respectively); Unit 8: Calcisols with, Cambisols and Luvisols (80%, 10% and 10% respectively); Unit 9: Anthrosols. These study allow to elaborate the first map of vineyard soils of this Protected Designation of Origin in Castilla-La Mancha.

Anthocyanin profile is differentially affected by high temperature, elevated CO2 and water deficit in Tempranillo (Vitis vinifera L.) clones

Anthocyanin potential of grape berries is an important quality factor in wine production. Anthocyanin concentration and profile differ among varieties but it also depends on the environmental conditions, which are expected to be greatly modified by climate change in the future. These modifications may significantly modify the biochemical composition of berries at harvest, and thus wine typicity. Among the diverse approaches proposed to reduce the potential negative effects that climate change may have on grape quality, genetic diversity among clones can represent a source of potential candidates to select better adapted plant material for future climatic conditions. The effects of individual and combined factors associated to climate change (increase of temperature, rise of air CO2 concentration and water deficit) on the anthocyanin profile of different clones of Tempranillo that differ in the length of their reproductive cycle were studied. The aim was to highlight those clones more adapted to maintain specific Tempranillo typicity in the future. Fruit-bearing cuttings were grown in controlled conditions under two temperatures (ambient temperature versus ambient temperature + 4ºC), two CO2 levels (400 ppm versus 700 ppm) and two water regimes (well-watered versus water deficit), both in combination or independently, in order to simulate future climate change scenarios. Elevated temperature increased anthocyanin acylation, whereas elevated CO2 and water deficit favoured the accumulation of malvidin derivatives, as well as the acylation and tri-hydroxylation level of anthocyanins. Although the changes in anthocyanin profile observed followed a common pattern among clones, such impact of environmental conditions was especially noticeable in one of the most widely distributed Tempranillo clones, the accession RJ43.

Characterization of variety-specific changes in bulk stomatal conductance in response to changes in atmospheric demand and drought stress

In wine growing regions around the world, climate change has the potential to affect vine transpiration and overall vineyard water use due to related changes in atmospheric demand and soil water deficits. Grapevines control their transpiration in response to a changing environment by regulating conductance of water through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Most vineyard water use models currently estimate vine transpiration by applying generic crop coefficients to estimates of reference evapotranspiration, but this does not account for changes in vine conductance associated with water stress, nor differences thought to exist between varieties. The response of bulk stomatal conductance to daily weather variability and seasonal drought stress was studied on Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Ugni blanc, and Semillon vines in a non-irrigated vineyard in Bordeaux France. Whole vine sap flow, temperature and humidity in the vine canopy, and net radiation absorbed by the vine canopy were measured on 15-minute intervals from early July through mid-September 2020, together with periodic measurement of leaf area, canopy porosity, and predawn leaf water potential. From this data, bulk stomatal conductance was calculated on 15-minute intervals, and multiple regression analysis was performed to identify key variables and their relative effect on conductance. Attention was focused on addressing multicollinearity and time-dependency in the explanatory variables and developing regression models that were readily interpretable. Variability of vapor pressure deficit over the day, and predawn water potential over the season explained much of the variability in conductance, with relative differences in response coefficients observed across the five varieties. By characterizing this conductance response, the dynamics of vine transpiration can be better parameterized in vineyard water use modeling of current and future climate scenarios.