GiESCO 2019 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 GiESCO 9 Effects of mechanical leafing and deficit irrigation on Cabernet Sauvignon grown in warm climate of California

Effects of mechanical leafing and deficit irrigation on Cabernet Sauvignon grown in warm climate of California

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study – San Joaquin Valley accounts for 40% of wine grape acreage and produces 70% of wine grape in California. Fruit quality is one of most important factors which impact the economical sustainability of farming wine grapes in this region. Due to the recent drought and expected labor cost increase, the wine industry is thrilled to understand how to improve fruit quality while maintaining the yield with less water and labor input. The present study aims to study the interactive effects of mechanical leafing and deficit irrigation on yield and berry compositions of Cabernet Sauvignon grown in warm climate of California.

Materials and methods – Field grown spur-pruned Cabernet Sauvignon vines grafted on Freedom rootstocks trained on quadrilateral cordons were included in this study. Two (water deficit) × three (mechanical leafing) factorial trial with a split block design, replicated in 5 times, was applied in 2018. Ten rows of vines (200 vines per row) were divided into two groups and each group was assigned to one of water deficit treatments as the “main plot”. Three mechanical leafing treatments were allocated randomly in the “main plot” as the “sub plot”. Two levels of water deficits included: 1) “sustained deficit irrigation” with 80% ETc from fruitset to harvest; 2) “regulated deficit irrigation” with 50% ETc from fruitset to veraison and 80% ETc from veraison to harvest. Three mechanical leafing treatments using the cut-suck type mechanical leafer to remove basal leaves on the “morning” side of the canopy included: 1) bloom leafing (stage EL-21); 2) pea size leafing (stage EL-31); 3) no leafing. Six vines in each “sub plot” were labeled as data vines.

Results – Leafing at bloom and pea size reduced about 8% of total leaf area as the comparison of control, however, bloom leafing only resulted in the temporary improved fruit-zone light exposure, while water deficit treatment did not cause any significant difference on leaf area. Water deficit had a bigger impact on yield than leafing with 20% yield reduction resulted from severe water deficit, and no impact on yield was found from leafing. The yield reduction was mainly driven by reduced cluster weight associated with the smaller berry size. Similar result was also found for leaf area/fruit ratio, while all the ratios fell in the previously published optimal range.As for berry composition, water deficit reduced titratable acidity and 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) while improving berry anthocyanins. Bloom leafing improved berry anthocyanins and increased IBMP. Resulted wine color was also improved by water deficit and bloom leafing. Key words: Mechanical leafing, Water deficit, Yield, Fruit quality, Wine chemistry

DOI:

Publication date: September 29, 2023

Issue: GiESCO 2019

Type: Poster

Authors

Shijian ZHUANG1*, Qun SUN2, Karl LUND3, Kaan KURTURAL4, Matthew FIDELIBUS4

1 UC Cooperative Extension, Fresno County
2 California State University at Fresno
3 UC Cooperative Extension, Madera County
4 University of California at Davis

Contact the author

Keywords

mechanical leafing, water deficit, yield, fruit quality, wine chemistry

Tags

GiESCO | GiESCO 2019 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Vitamin content of grape musts and yeast nutrition: A review

The management of yeast nutrition is an essential approach for a better control over wine fermentation process. Most of the researches on this subject in the last decades focused on nitrogen nutrition. However, vitamins, while being key compounds for yeast metabolism as co-factors for numerous enzymatic activities, were left mostly unexplored.

Gamay And Gamaret Winemaking Processes Using Stems: Impact On The Wine Aromatic Composition.

Stems may bring various benefits to the wine such as alcoholic reduction, color protection or improvement of the tannic intensity.

Les sols du cru de Bonnezeaux, Thouarcé, Anjou, France

Le cru de Bonnezeaux est une des appellations prestigieuses des vins liquoreux et moelleux des Coteaux du Layon et sa réputation est ancienne. L’INAO a effectué sa délimitation en 1953. Le vignoble est situé au nord de la ville de Thouarcé et au sud du village de Bonnezeaux, le long du versant rive droite du Layon, exposé au sud-ouest. La superficie du vignoble est de 156 ha.

Postveraison shoot trimming in Tannat and Merlot: preliminary results on yield components, plant balance and berry composition

There is currently a trend towards the production of wines with low alcohol content. To achieve this, grapes with low sugar content must be used. There are techniques at the vineyard level that can delay ripening and avoid excessive sugar accumulation without, a priori, affecting the final polyphenol content. Postveraison shoot trimming (PVST) is experimentally evaluated for these purposes, but its impact under Uruguayan climatic conditions with high interannual variability is not known. The aim of this work is to assess the PVST in Tannat and Merlot cultivars and their impact on yield components, plant balance and berry primary composition. In this study, two commercial vineyards of 10 years old Tannat and Merlot (grafted on SO4) at Canelones Department were selected. During the 2020-201 growing season, grapevines were submitted to PVST when grapes reached 15º Brix. In a randomized block, trimmed (T) and control (C) plants were evaluated with three repetitions each cultivar. Evaluation of the evolution of primary berry composition during ripening, measurement of yield components and plant balance were performed. For both cultivars, PVST did not affect yield components. Merlot reached 5.4 kg per plant and Tannat 7.1 kg, with not statistical significance between treatments. However, statistical differences were observed in terms of plant balance. In Merlot Ravaz Index reached a difference of 5.3 (12.0 in T and 6.7 in C) meanwhile Tannat reached 3.5 of statistical difference (13.7 in T and 10.2 in C). The tendency to imbalance for the treated plants had an impact on the final grape composition. Merlot grapes showed statistical difference in final total acidity (0.3 g of difference between treatments) while treatments impact final sugar content on Tannat grapes (10.0 g of difference between treatments). Further studies are needed to assess the impact of different canopy management techniques in our conditions.

Factors influencing the production of the antioxidant hydroxytyrosol during alcoholic fermentation: Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen and Sugar content.

Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is well known for its potent antioxidant activity and anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties. One possible explanation to its origin in wines is the synthesis from tyrosol, which in turn is produced from the Ehrlich pathway by yeasts. This work aims to explore the factors that could increase the final content as the initial concentration of yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) and sugar. Two different concentrations of YAN were proved between 210mg/L and 300 mg/L. Additionally, two different concentrations of sugar were used: 100g/L and 240 g/L. Alcoholic fermentations in synthetic must were performed with the strain QA23.