GiESCO 2019 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 GiESCO 9 GiESCO 2019 9 Response of Shiraz/101‐14 mgt to in‐row vine spacing

Response of Shiraz/101‐14 mgt to in‐row vine spacing

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study ‐ Knowledge of vine reaction to plant spacing under high potential soil conditions is restricted. This study was done to determine effects of vine spacing (with fixed row spacing) of Shiraz/101‐14 Mgt on a high potential soil on vine physiological reaction, growth, yield and grape composition. The study is targeting economic viability by considering establishment, yield, grape and wine quality, and expected longevity.

Material and methods – The project is carried out in the Breede River Valley, Robertson, South Africa. Shiraz(clone SH 9C)/101‐14 Mgt vines were planted during 2008 to a VSP trellis with a fixed row spacing of 2.2 m and a row orientation of approx. NNE‐SSW (30°). In‐row vine spacing varies from 0.3–4.5 m with increments of 30 cm (from 15151–1010 vines/ha), totalling 15 treatments. Treatments were irrigated similarly per week (based on ET0 values and standard seasonal crop factors). Grapes are harvested at two ripeness levels.

Results ‐ After establishing the experiment vineyard in 2008, results have been generated over six seasons with complete pruning system (2‐bud spurs, equally spaced) and cordon development. Canopies developed uniformly with cordon extension. General vegetative growth over treatments varied according to seasonal conditions. Except for individual leaf size, vegetative growth parameters (trunk circumference, shoot and cane mass) were mostly reduced for narrower spaced vines. Yield:cane mass ratios showed an increasing trend from narrow to wide vine spacing. Fertility, together with bunch mass, seemed to increase from narrow to wide spacings. Bunches of narrow spacing treatments seemed more compact. Physiological parameters revealed a complex interplay between vine structure expansion, microclimate, water relations, photosynthetic output, and carbon distribution. Grape composition followed trends of decreasing sugar levels (°B) and pH, and increasing titratable acidity (TA), from narrow to wide spacing. In line with physiological symptoms of stress and available leaf area per yield, sugar accumulation of wider spacings seemed delayed. A balance between oenological advancement, wine style and production returns per investment is critical. Total costs (as measured in this study), labour and yields showed very clear trends with an apparent optimal from 1.8–2.4 m vine spacing. Final sustainability would depend on the total cost of production, farm conditions, and labour skills.

DOI:

Publication date: June 22, 2020

Issue: GiESCO 2019

Type: Article

Authors

J.J. HUNTER (1), M. BOOYSE (2), C.G. VOLSCHENK (1)

(1) ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Private Bag X5026, Stellenbosch, South Africa (2) ARC Biometry, Private Bag X5026, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Contact the author

Keywords

Vine spacing, Physiology, Growth, Ripeness level, Grape composition, Sustainability

Tags

GiESCO 2019 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

The concept of terroir: what place for microbiota?

Microbes play key roles on crop nutrient availability via biogeochemical cycles, rhizosphere interactions with roots as well as on plant growth and health. Recent advances in technologies, such as High Throughput Sequencing Techniques, allowed to gain deeper insight on the structure of bacterial and fungal communities associated with soil, rhizosphere and plant phyllosphere. Over the past 10 years, numerous scientific studies have been carried out on the microbial component of the vineyard. Whether the soil or grape compartments have been taken into account, many studies agree on the evidence of regional delineations of microbial communities, that may contribute to regional wine characteristics and typicity. Some authors proposed the term “microbial terroir” including “yeast terroir” for grapes to describe the connection between microbial biogeography and regional wine characteristics. Many factors are involved in terroir including climate, soil, cultivar and human practices as well as their interactions. Studies considering “microbial terroir” greatly contributed to improve our knowledge on factors that shape the vineyard microbial structure and diversity. However, the potential impact of “microbial terroir” on wine composition has yet not received strong scientific evidence and many questions remain to be addressed, related to the functional characterization of the microbial community and its impact on plant physiology and grape composition, the origins and interannual stability of vineyard microbiota, as well as their impact on wine sensorial attributes. The presentation will give an overview on the role of microbiota as a terroir component and will highlight future perspectives and challenges on this key subject for the wine industry.

Modeling the suitability of Pinot Noir in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in a changing climate

Air temperature is the key driver of grapevine phenology and a significant environmental factor impacting yield and quality for a winegrape growing region. In this study the optimal downscaled CMIP5 ensemble for computing thegrowing season average temperature (GST) viticulture climate classification index was determined to spatially compute on a decadal basis predictions of the GST climate index and the grapevine sugar ripeness (GSR) model for Pinot Noir throughout the Willamette Valley (WV) American Viticultural Area (AVA). Forecasts for average temperature and a 220 g/L target sugar concentration level were computed using daily Localized Constructed Analogs (LOCA) downscaled CMIP5 historic and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) future climate projections of minimum and maximum daily temperature. We explore spatiotemporal trends of the GST climate classification index and Pinot Noir specific applications of the GSR phenology model for the WV AVA. Spatiotemporal computations of the GST climate index and Pinot Noir specific applications of the GSR model enable the opportunity to explore relationships between their computed values with one intent being to provide updated GST ranges that better align with current temperature-based modeling understanding of Pinot Noir grapevine phenology and the viticultural application of LOCA CMIP5 climate projections for the WV AVA. The Pinot Noir specific applications of the GSR model or the GST index with updated bounds indicate that the percent of the WV AVA area suitable for Pinot Noir production is currently at or near its peak value in the upper 80s to lower 90s of this century.

Current climate change in the Oplenac wine-growing district (Serbia)

Serbian autochthonous vine varieties Smederevka (for white wines) and Prokupac (for rosé and red wines) are the primary representatives of typical characteristics of wines and terroir of numerous wine-growing areas in Serbia. In the past, these varieties were the leading vine varieties, however, as the result of globalization of winemaking and the trend of consumption of wines from widely prevalent vine varieties, they were replaced by introduced international varieties. Smederevka and Prokupac vine varieties are characterized by later time of grape ripening, and relative sensitivity to low temperatures. Climate conditions can be a restrictive factor for production of high-quality grapes and wine and for the spatial spreading of these varieties in hilly continental wine-growing areas.
This paper focuses on the spatial analysis of changes of main climate parameters, in particular, analysis of viticultural bioclimatic indices that were determined for the purposes of viticulture zoning of wine-growing areas in the period 1961-2010, and those same parameters determined for the current, that is, referential climate period (1988-2017). Results of the research, that is, analysis of climate changes indicate that the majority of examined climate parameters in the Oplenac wine-growing district improved from the perspective of Smederevka and Prokupac vine varieties. These studies of climate conditions indicate that changes of analyzed climate parameters, that is, bioclimatic indices will be favorable for cultivation of varieties with later grape ripening times and those more sensitive to low temperatures, such as the autochthonous vine varieties Smederevka and Prokupac, therefore, it is recommended to producers to more actively plant vineyards with these varieties in the territory of the Oplenac wine-growing district.

Simulating climate change impact on viticultural systems in historical and emergent vineyards

Global climate change affects regional climates and hold implications for wine growing regions worldwide. Although winegrowers are constantly adapting to internal and external factors, it seems relevant to develop tools, which will allow them to better define actual and future agro-climatic potentials. Within this context, we develop a modelling approach, able to simulate the impact of environmental conditions and constraints on vine behaviour and to highlight potential adaptation strategies according to different climate change scenarios. Our modeling approach, named SEVE (Simulating Environmental impacts on Viticultural Ecosystems), provides a generic modeling framework for simulating grapevine growth and berry ripening under different conditions and constraints (slope, aspect, soil type, climate variability…) as well as production strategies and adaptation rules according to climate change scenarios. Each activity is represented by an autonomous agent able to react and adapt its reaction to the variability of environmental constraints. Using this model, we have recently analyzed the evolution of vineyards’ exposure to climatic risks (frost, pathogen risk, heat wave) and the adaptation strategies potentially implemented by the winegrowers. This approach, implemented for two climate change scenarios, has been initiated in France on traditional (Loire Valley) and emerging (Brittany) vineyards. The objective is to identify the time horizons of adaptations and new opportunities in these two regions. Carried out in collaboration with wine growers, this approach aims to better understand the variability of climate change impacts at local scale in the medium and long term.

Short-term relationships between climate and grapevine trunk diseases in southern French vineyards

[lwp_divi_breadcrumbs home_text="IVES" use_before_icon="on" before_icon="||divi||400" module_id="publication-ariane" _builder_version="4.19.4" _module_preset="default" module_text_align="center" module_font_size="16px" text_orientation="center"...