terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Congress on Grapevine and Wine Sciences 9 2ICGWS-2023 9 Effect of irrigation in cover cropping vineyards

Effect of irrigation in cover cropping vineyards

Abstract

Cover cropping in vineyard is a sustainable and alternative soil management system to conventional tillage that is gaining more and more importance among winegrowers and is being promoted, among other organizations, by the European Union through the eco-schemes of the Common Agricultural Policy.

However, the use of cover crops in Mediterranean viticultural environments is conditioned, to a large extent, by the availability of irrigation water which, in a context of global warming like the one we are experiencing, must be adjusted to savings strategies, supplying to the vine only what it needs in each moment.

The objective of this work is focused on studying the combined use of irrigation strategies together with the implantation of cover crops, analyzing its effect on the vegetative, productive and quality characteristics of must and wine. To determine the practice of irrigation, the measurement of stem water potential has been used as an indicator of the water status of the plant.

The essay has been raised with four treatments: tillage, tillage with irrigation, cover crop and cover crop with irrigation. The cover crop has consisted of a mixture of grasses and legumes.

The results obtained have shown that the covered treatments have offered a more pronounced water deficit than the tilled treatments, without this having been a limiting factor for the vine. Besides, irrigation has stimulated the effects of accumulation of organic acids, sugars and cations. Regarding the cover crop, it has achieved to reduce the vigour of the vine and has had a notable increase in the content of anthocyanins and polyphenols with respect to tilled treatments.

Acknowledgements: This work is part of the actions of the project “Sustainable viticultural strategies and practices for adaptation to climate change” (VITISAD), 65% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDP) through the Interreg V-A Spain-France- Andorra (POCTEFA 2014-2020).

References: 

1)  Ibáñez S. (2015). Mantenimiento del suelo mediante cubiertas vegetales. Gobierno de La Rioja, Logroño. 168 pp.

2)  Ojeda H et al. (2006). Modelo para el control del estado hídrico del viñedo en función del tipo de vino buscado. XXIX Congreso Mundial de la Viña y el Vino. Logroño, 25-30 junio.

3)  Scholander P. et al. (1965). Sap pressure in vascular plants. Science. 148: 339-346.

DOI:

Publication date: October 9, 2023

Issue: ICGWS 2023

Type: Poster

Authors

Sergio Ibáñez Pascual, Luis Rivacoba Gómez

Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (ICVV), Ctra. LO-20 Salida 13, Finca La Grajera, 26071 Logroño, Spain

Contact the author*

Keywords

water potential, water stress, legume, grass, competition, yield, photoassimilates

Tags

2ICGWS | ICGWS | ICGWS 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Qualitative and productive characterization of a minority variety: ‘Branco lexítimo’ in DO Ribeira Sacra (Spain)

The actual climate changes, together with the strong regulation of the European Union and Spanish government, in search of sustainable viticulture, have forced the recovery of minority varieties, expanding the range of grape varieties, as well as the possible development of wines with unique profiles. In the Ribeira Sacra DO (Spain), a comparative study of the agronomic and qualitative behavior of the ‘Branco lexítimo’ variety has been carried out, compared to the majority white variety in the DO: ‘Godello’, located in the same study plot, with identic soil and climatic conditions. The study contemplated the analysis of phenology and leaf water potential, as well as the productive results and the analysis of the must quality, during four seasons: 2018 – 2021.

Agronomic behavior of three grape varieties in different planting density and irrigation treatments

In the O Ribeiro Denomination of Origin, there is a winemaking tradition of growing vines under a high-density plantation framework (8,920 vines/ha) and maintaining its vegetative cycle under rainfed conditions.
Currently, viticulture is advancing to plantation frames in which the density is considered medium (5,555 vines/ha), thus allowing mechanized work to be carried out for vineyard management operations. Although, the application of irrigation applied proportionally to the needs of the vegetative cycle of the vine, is a factor that increasingly helps a good development of the vine compared to the summer period, with increasingly uncertain weather forecasts.

Association between dietary pattern and wine consumption and Alzheimer’s disease in a cohort from La Rioja (Spain)

Addressing modifiable risk factors is the most promising strategy to prevent/delay Alzheimer Disease (AD)[1]. The aim of the study was to establish the connections between dietetic habits, wine consumption and AD. Thus, 98 volunteers were recruited: 50 diagnosed as AD and 48 healthy/controls. The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used for dietary patterns assessment and, based on these data, the Mind Diet Score was calculated. (Poly)phenol metabolites (especially derived from wine consumption) were analyzed by UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS in 24-h urine samples to confirm dietary (poly)phenol consumption.

Genetic study of wild grapevines in La Rioja region

Since the mid-1980s, several surveys have been carried out in La Rioja to search for populations of the sylvestris grapevine subspecies (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris Gmelin). The banks of the Ebro River and its tributaries (Alhama, Cidacos, Leza, Iregua, Najerilla, Oja and Tirón rivers), as well as the surrounding vegetation of their valleys have been covered. So far, all the populations found are alluvial, forming part of the riparian vegetation of the Najerilla (the first reported population in La Rioja [1]), Iregua, and the vicinity of Oja valleys.

Preliminary study of the influence of ripening on the polysaccharide content of different red grape varieties

Grape skin has a barrier and protective function in grapes. Cell wall of grape skins is mainly composed of polysaccharides such as pectins, celulloses and hemicelluloses and structural proteins. Terroir, variety and changes during ripening can affect the content of polysaccharides in grapes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of polysaccharides (PS) in grapes along the ripening process. Three red grape varieties were studied: Garnacha (G), Tempranillo (T) and Prieto Picudo (PP).