terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Impact of canopy management on thiol precursors in white grapes: a six-year field study

Impact of canopy management on thiol precursors in white grapes: a six-year field study

Abstract

The mechanisms behind thiol precursor accumulation in grapes remain incompletely understood, nor are the ways in which they can be improved by agronomic practices. A six-year field trial studied the physiological response of the Swiss white cultivar Vitis vinifera Arvine, rich in varietal thiols and precursors, to canopy management, i.e. leaf removal and canopy height.. Five treatments were set up in a randomized block design to assess the impacts of 1) pre-flowering LR (i.e. pre-flowering or full-flowering stages) and 2) compensating for the leaf area removed in the cluster zone by increasing the trimming height (i.e. 100 or 150 cm canopy height), compared with a non-defoliated control treatment.

Intensive pre-flowering LR severely reduced yield potential (–47% on average) and reduced the concentration of 3-mercaptohexanol precursors (P-3MH) in the must (–21%; p-value < 0.10). Decreasing earliness modulated the impact of LR on yield (–12%) and P-3MH concentration (–6%). Compensating for suppressed leaf area by increasing the trimming height slightly enhanced grape ripening (+1% total sugars; –3% titratable acidity), slightly improved the overall quality of the wine (color intensity, volume), while having no impact on must P-3MH concentration or on wine bouquet.

Observing the long-term impact of each LR treatment separately provided insights into the physiological mechanisms influencing fruit development and aroma formation. This trial is part of a larger project on canopy management and its impact on grape composition in temperate Swiss climatic conditions.

Download the abstract

DOI:

Publication date: June 13, 2024

Issue: Open GPB 2024

Type: Article

Authors

Thibaut Verdenal1*, Vivian Zufferey1, Ágnes Dienes-Nagy2, Gilles Bourdin2, Jean-Laurent Spring1

1 Agroscope, avenue Rochettaz 21, 1009 Pully, Switzerland
2 Agroscope, route de Duillier 60, case postale 1012, 1260 Nyon 1, Switzerland

Contact the author*

Keywords

leaf removal, canopy height, 3-mercaptohexanol, grapevine, wine aroma

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Open GPB | Open GPB 2024

Citation

Related articles…

The impact of acetaldehyde on phenolic evolution of a free-SO2 red wine

Some wine producers, in good years, can produce free-SO2 red wines and decide to add the minimum amount of sulphur dioxide only at bottling. To manage this addition

Read More

Variability of Tempranillo phenology within the toro do (Spain) and its relationship to climatic characteristics

Aims: The objective of this research was to analyse the spatial and temporal variability of vine phenology of the Tempranillo variety in the Toro Designation of Origen (DO) related to climatic conditions at present and under future climate change scenarios.

Read More

Mesoclimate and Topography influence on grape composition and yield in the AOC Priorat

The Priorat AOC, which is situated behind the coastal mountain range of Tarragona, is characterised by a Mediterranean climate that tends towards continentality and has very little precipitation during the vegetation cycle

Read More

Influence of ‘pinotage’ defoliation on fruit and wine quality

Among the different management techniques in Viticulture, which have
been developed with the purpose of optimizing the interception of sunlight, the photosynthetic capacity of
the plant and the microclimate of the clusters, especially in varieties that show excess vigor, the management of defoliation presents great importance. The defoliation consists of the removal of leaves that cover or that are in direct contact with the curls, which can cause physical damages in the berries, and aims to balance the relation between part area and number of fruits, providing the aeration and insolation in the interior of the vineyard, as well as reduce the incidence of rot in order to achieve greater efficiency in phytosanitary treatments and quality musts.

Read More

Biodiversity and biocontrol ability of Trichoderma natural populations in soil vineyards from Castilla y León region (Spain)

Trichoderma is a microorganism present in many agricultural soils and some of its species could be used as natural biological control agents. In this work, the presence of natural populations of Trichoderma was estimated in soil vineyard and its biocontrol capacity against Phaeoacremonium minimum, one of the main agent causals of grapevine trunk diseases instead of using pesticides. Moreover, physicochemical variables in soil such as pH, organic matter and nutrients were evaluated to determine a possible correlation to natural populations of Trichoderma.

Read More