GiESCO 2019 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 GiESCO 9 Service crop effects on grapevine water and nitrogen status and yield under Mediterranean climate

Service crop effects on grapevine water and nitrogen status and yield under Mediterranean climate

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study – Service crops in vineyard can provide multiple ecosystem services but they can also lead to competition with the grapevine for soil resources in the Mediterranean region due to potential severe droughts (Garcia et al., 2018). One of the levers of action to manage this competition is the choice of species adapted in terms of growth dynamics and water and nutrients’ needs. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of temporary service crops on grapevine water and nitrogen status and grapevine yield and yield components in a Mediterranean vineyard.

Material and methods – The experiment was carried out for two consecutive years in a vineyard located in the south of France on a calcaric cambisol under a Mediterranean climate (468 and 487 mm of rainfall for 2016-17 and 2017-18 winters respectively). Grapevines (Mourvèdre) were planted in 2008 at a density of 4000 vines per hectare. For the two consecutive years, 9 species (Achillea millefolium, Avena sativa, Dactylis glomerata, Medicago lupulina, Medicago sativa, Plantago coronopus, Poterium sanguisorba, Trifolium fragiferum and Vicia villosa) were sown after harvest and destroyed after budburst. Predawn leaf water potential and leaf chlorophyll content were measured using a pressure chamber and a SPAD© chloprophyll-meter device for all treatments (9 service crops, spontaneous vegetation and bare soil) on 10 plants at grapevine’s fruit set to assess early water and nitrogen status of the vine. At harvest, the yield and yield components’ grapevine were measured for all treatments on the same plants. All treatments were compared with tilled and spontaneous cover systems using ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests form multiple comparison of means (p<0,05).

Results– At fruit set, the leaf water potentials indicated an absent to low stress depending on the treatment: Plantago coronopus (-1,6.105 Pa) and Poterium sanguisorba (2,8.105 Pa) were the least and the most constrained treatments respectively. The range of SPAD values between 34 and 39 indicated that nitrogen needs are met (higher values for Vicia sativa and lower values for Dactylis glomerata and Poterium sanguisorba). At harvest, the mean yields and the mean number of bunches per plant ranged from 2,8 to 4,4 kg of grapes and from 12,8 to 17,3 respectively, without any significant difference between the treatments. The only significant difference was observed for bunch fresh weight (Avena sativa (288 g) significantly higher than Poterium Sanguisorba (156 g)). In conclusion, after two years of temporary service crop, no significant reduction in yield was noticed, but the treatments were differentiated for their water and nitrogen status, and for the fresh mass of a bunch depending on the chosen species. Our results reinforce the need for long-term monitoring of service crop trials in vineyards.

DOI:

Publication date: March 12, 2024

Issue: GiESCO 2019

Type: Poster

Authors

Aurélie METAY, Léo GARCIA, Yvan BOUISSON, Clément ENARD, Bénédicte OHL, Raphaël METRAL, Christian GARY

1 UMR SYSTEM, Montpellier SupAgro, INRA, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, Univ Montpellier, 2 Place Viala, F-34060 Montpellier, France

Contact the author

Keywords

Grapevine, Service Crop, Yield, Predawn Leaf Water Potential, Nitrogen, Competition

Tags

GiESCO | GiESCO 2019 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

A spatial explicit inventory of EU wine protected designation of origin to support decision making in a changing climate

Winemaking areas recognized as protected designations of origin (PDOs) shape important economic, environmental and cultural values that are tied to closely defined geographic locations. To preserve wine products and wine-growing practices adopted in different PDOs these areas are strictly regulated by legal specifications. However, quality viticulture is increasingly under pressure from climate change, which is altering the local conditions of many winegrowing areas. Therefore, maintaining traditional wine products will require the adoption of tailored adaptation strategies, including possible changes in the legal regulation of protected wines. To this end, it is necessary to have a comprehensive knowledge on PDOs including their extension, products and allowed practices. While there have been efforts to build databases that summarize the characteristics for individual wine PDO areas and to quantify the related effects of climate change, much information is still included only in the official documentation of the EU geographical indication register and has never been collected in a comprehensive manner. With this study we aim at filling this gap by building a spatial inventory of European wine PDOs that supports decision making in viticulture in the context of climate change. To map and characterize European wine PDOs, we analysed their legal documents and extracted relevant information useful for climate change adaptation. The output consists of a comprehensive geographical dataset that identifies the boundaries of all 1200 European wine PDOs at unprecedented spatial resolution and includes a set of legally binding regulations, such as authorized vine varieties, maximum yields and planting density. The inventory will allow researchers to analyse the impacts of climate change on European wine PDOs and support decision makers in developing tailored adaptation strategies. This includes, among others, the evaluation of new vineyard site selection, the expansion of cultivated varieties or the authorization of irrigation in vineyards.

Complantations : enjeux et facteurs de réussite

Dans le cadre de TerclimPro 2025, Coralie Dewasme a présenté un article IVES Technical Reviews. Retrouvez la présentation ci-dessous ainsi que l’article associé : https://ives-technicalreviews.eu/article/view/8486

Spotted lanternfly, a new invasive insect in vineyards: is it a threat to grapevines?

The spotted lanternfly (SLF; Lycorma delicatula) is a phloem-feeding polyphagous insect invasive to the Eastern U.S.. Since its first detection in Pennsylvania (U.S.) in 2014, large infestations and economic damage (e.g., decreased yield, vine decline, greater pesticide use) have been reported in an increasing number of vineyards, threatening the sustainability and growth of the wine industry in infested regions. Our team has been investigating the impacts of SLF phloem-feeding on physiological processes, fruit production, juice, and wine composition of different grape cultivars, and also evaluated if the SLF can transmit important grapevine pathogens. In addition, we are working closely with stakeholders to better enumerate the economic damage caused by this pest. These findings will provide relevant information to grape and wine producers to help identify action thresholds and develop a more targeted integrated pest management program.

Effects of urea and nano-urea foliar treatments on the aromatic profile of Monastrell wines

Foliar application of urea has proven to be an effective method for increasing the amino acid content in grapes, especially when the vineyard has additional nitrogen needs. These treatments can prevent problems of stucking fermentation during winemaking.

Use of membrane ultrafiltration technology to achieve protein stabilisation of white wine

AIM: Proteins in white wine can cause cloudiness or haze after bottling, which consumers may consider an indicator of poor quality. . As a consequence, winemakers often use bentonite, a clay-based material that binds protein, to remove proteins and achieve protein stabilisation. However, removing bentonite from wine after treatment can result in a 3-10% loss of wine (1)…