Influence of different netting systems on physiology and agronomic performance of cvs. ‘Barbera’ and ‘Malvasia di Candia Aromatica’ grapevines grown in a Mediterranean environment

Abstract

Anti-hail nets can protect canopies and reduce heat stress, although their effectiveness depends on multiple factors and requires further study. The research evaluated if and how different shading nets affect grapevine physiology and agronomic performance in a Mediterranean environment. The trial was run in two vineyards from Colli Piacentini planted with cvs. Malvasia di Candia Aromatica (MACA) and Barbera (BA). Anti-hail nets (AHN), shading nets (SN), and anti-rain nets (ARN) were compared to a control (C). Nets were installed after budburst and lifted before harvest. Sentinel vines were monitored throughout key phenological stages for leaf gas exchange and stem water potential, while yield components, berry sunburn, and fruit composition were assessed at harvest. Gas exchange measurements considered leaf position and canopy side, preserving natural leaf orientation. Despite nets resulting in differential canopy shading according to commercial properties, physiological responses were less than proportional. Net type influenced photosynthesis in both cultivars, but to a different extent. In cv. BA, SN achieved the highest assimilation rates (+0.69 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ compared with C on DOY 176), despite experiencing 35% lower PAR than C vines. AHN showed rates comparable to C, whereas ARN exhibited the lowest values. In cv. MACA, photosynthesis was reduced under ARN compared to C on DOY 203, while SN preserved assimilation rates similar to C vines. In BA vines, C and ARN exhibited the lowest Ψ_ST values (-1.06 MPa on DOY 203), while SN had the highest (-0.96 MPa). In MACA, the difference in Ψ_ST between SN and C mirrored that observed in Barbera (-1.10 MPa vs -1.20 MPa, respectively). Nets did not affect yield or basic fruit composition but significantly reduced bunch sunburn in both cultivars. Across all net types, sunburn incidence was reduced by 73–97% compared with the control, with effectiveness proportional to the degree of shading (SN > AHN > ARN). Ongoing analyses aim to address the effects of net type, cultivar, and row orientation, and to assess their influence on cluster microclimate, anthocyanin synthesis, and organic acid metabolism.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been carried out within the framework of the project LIFE VINOSHIELD funded by the European Union (grant number LIFE-2023-SAP-CLIMA-CCA, Project # 101158020).