terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Fruit set rate clonal variation explains yield differences at harvest in Malbec

Fruit set rate clonal variation explains yield differences at harvest in Malbec

Abstract

Malbec is Argentina’s flagship variety, and it is internationally recognized for producing high-quality red wines. Fruit set rate is a major component in grapevine yield determination, and it is the outcome of multiple genetic and environmental interacting variables. Here, we characterized the reproductive performance of 25 Malbec clones grown under homogeneous conditions in a 23-years old experimental plot. We measured traits near flowering (like the number of flowers per inflorescence) and at harvest (including the number of berries per cluster and berry weight), during two consecutive seasons (2022 and 2023). After combining image-based systems to assist in the phenotyping with univariate and multivariate approaches for statistical analyses, we identified a wide range of clonal variation. For example, fruit set rate varied from 13.1 to 65.8% (avg. 38.4%) and from 9.8 to 50.0% (avg. 32.1%) in 2022 and 2023, respectively. A hierarchical clustering on principal components analysis identified three clonal groups of phenotypic similarity, consistent between seasons. Interestingly, two of these groups presented a similar number of flowers per inflorescence but markedly different fruit set rates. Consequently, clones from these two groups produced a significantly different number of berries per cluster. The in-depth analysis of clones assigned to these contrasting groups, for traits like pollen viability and flower morphology, allowed exploring the potential causes of the observed differences. We found that fruit set rate variation has multiple causes in Malbec, associated to anomalous flower development and functionality, which could ultimately impact on clonal yield differences at harvest.

Download the abstract

DOI:

Publication date: June 13, 2024

Issue: Open GPB 2024

Type: Poster

Authors

Luciano Calderón1*, Javier Tello2*, Silvina van Houten1, Claudio Muñoz1,4, Tomas Oroño1, Laura Bree3, Daniel Bergamin3, Cristóbal Sola3, Natalia Carrillo4, José Miguel Martinez-Zapater2, Diego Lijavetzky1

1 Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza (CONICET-UNCuyo). Mendoza, Argentina
2 Instituto de las Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (ICVV; CSIC, UR, Gobierno de La Rioja). Logroño, Spain
3 Vivero Mercier Argentina. Mendoza, Argentina
4 Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias (UNCuyo). Mendoza, Argentina

Contact the author*


Keywords

intra-varietal variation, reproductive performance, image-assisted phenotyping, flower development

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Open GPB | Open GPB 2024

Citation

Related articles…

Evaluation of phenology, agronomic and oenological quality in minority wine varieties in Madrid as a strategy for adaptation to climate change

The main phenological stages (budburst, flowering, veraison, and ripeness) and the fruit composition of 34 Spanish minority varieties were studied to determine their cultivation potential and help winegrowers adapt their production systems to climate change conditions. In total, 4 control cultivars, and 30 minority varieties from central Spain were studied during a period of 3 campaigns, in the ampelographic collection “El Encín”, in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid. Agronomic and oenological characteristics such as yield, and total soluble solids concentration have been monitored.

Read More

Impact of sample size on yield estimation in commercial vineyards

The accurate estimation of yield is a fundamental for suitable viticulture, playing a pivotal role in the planning of logistics, the allocation of resources and the formulation of commercial strategies.

Read More

Exploring the dynamic between yeast mannoproteins structure and wine stability

Mannoproteins are macromolecules found on the surface of yeast cells, composed of hyperbranched polysaccharide negatively charged chains by mannosyl-phosphate groups, fixed to a protein core. during the alcoholic fermentation and aging on lees, these mannoproteins are released from the yeast cell wall and become the main yeast-sourced polysaccharide in wine. due to their techno-functional properties, commercial preparations of mannoproteins can be used as additives to better assure tartaric and protein stability.

Read More

The weak role of organic mulches in shaping bacterial communities in grapevine

The interest in sustainable and ecologic agricultural practices in grapevine has grown significantly in recent years in the context of ecological transition. Organic mulches are treatments that support the circular economy and positively affect the soil and the plant. They are an alternative to herbicides and other conventional practices since they may influence soil moisture, erosion, structure and weed control. However, their effects on the soil and must microbiota remain unknown.

Read More

Screening sensory-directed methodology for the selection of non-saccharomyces wine yeasts based on perceived aroma quality

The present work contributes by developing a rapid sensory-directed methodology for the screening and selection of high quality wines with different sensory profiles Therefore, Verdejo and Tempranillo musts were fermented with 50 different yeasts each under controlled laboratory conditions. Resulting samples were firstly categorized according to five levels of quality by a panel of wine professionals (Sáenz-Navajas, Ballester et al. 2013). Higher quality samples were described by flash profiling by a semi-trained panel
(Valentin, Chollet et al. 2012) and most distinctive samples were screened by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) (López, Aznar et al. 2002).

Read More