Fertilization Lysimeters provide new insights into the needs and impacts of N nutrition on table grape performance and fruit yield and quality
Abstract
Table grape production requires adequate nitrogen (N) supply to sustain vine performance and obtain high yields. However, excess agricultural N fertilization is a major source of groundwater contamination and air pollution. Therefore, there is a strong need for empirically based precision N fertilization schemes in vineyards, for optimizing grape yield and quality while minimizing their environmental impact.
Our aim was to unequivocally quantify table grape N requirements, elucidate the drivers of daily N uptake, and quantify the relationship between fertigation N levels and vine growth, fruit yield, composition, and quality. For this, forty ‘Early Sweet’ (early-maturing, white) and ‘Crimson seedless’ (late-maturing, red) vines were grown in 500L drainage-lysimeters for 2 fruiting seasons, while subjected to five continuous N fertigation treatments ranging from 10 to 200 ppm. Irrigation and drainage volume and macronutrient concentrations were measured bi-weekly. Vegetative growth, leaf mineral composition, and fruit ripening were monitored, and the fruit harvested and analyzed for quality-related parameters.
Vine temporal N uptake across seasons and treatments was largely driven by N availability and water uptake, independently of fruit phenology. N levels affected the composition of other macro and micro-nutrients in diagnostic tissues. A dose-dependent effect of N on plant growth, fruit ripening, yield, and fruit size and composition highlighted doses that improve both yield and quality, and nitrogen use efficiency. Our findings lay the basis for data-driven precision N nutrition in vineyards for optimizing yield, fruit quality, and the environmental sustainability of commercial vineyards.
DOI:
Issue: Open GPB 2024
Type: Poster
Authors
1The Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel
2Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Gilat, Israel
3The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer, Israel
4The Institute of Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel