Terroir 2020 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Selecting varieties best adapted to current and future climate conditions based on ripening traits

Selecting varieties best adapted to current and future climate conditions based on ripening traits

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to quantify key berry sugar accumulation traits and characterize their plasticity in response to climate variation from data collected from different cultivars over seven years from an experimental vineyard.

Methods and Results: Berry samples were collected weekly from different Vitis Vinifera (L.) cultivars at four replicate locations within a common-garden randomized complete block design from 2012-2018 in Bordeaux, France. A logistic model was parameterized to the sugar accumulation data and ripening traits were extracted. The variation in sugar accumulation traits were well explained by cultivar, year, and their interaction, highlighting the relative roles of genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity. Sugar accumulation traits themselves were affected by antecedent and concurrent climate factors such as temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and vine water status, whether before, or after mid-véraison. In addition, other traits such as berry weight at mid-véraison, and date of mid-véraison had an important influence on sugar accumulation traits. Further, the relative importance of these factors varied significantly by cultivar. More research is needed to unravel the exact mechanisms underlying the differential genotypic responses of traits to these factors.

Conclusions: 

The variations in sugar accumulation traits were well explained by cultivar, year, and their interaction, highlighting the relative roles of genetic variation, climate factors, and phenotypic plasticity. Sugar accumulation traits were found to be affected by antecedent and concurrent climate factors both before and after mid-véraison. The relative importance of these factors varied significantly by cultivar. In this study we focused only on sugar accumulation traits. Sugar is, however, only one of many determinants for grape cultivar suitability in wine regions. Other traits include, but are not limited to, water use efficiency, photosynthetic capacity, yield, and berry composition. 

Significance and Impact of the Study: Climate change induces excessively high sugar levels in grapes, resulting in wines with increased alcohol content. It also results in earlier ripening, moving the ripening period to a part of the season where climatic conditions are not optimum for producing high quality wines. Variability among cultivars is a precious resource to adapt viticulture when environments change. This study highlighted the relative roles of genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity to environmental conditions in the variation of sugar accumulation traits. Moreover, it shows that a multi-trait approach is required to study wine grape ripening to select varieties in a context of global change.

DOI:

Publication date: March 25, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2020

Type : Video

Authors

Bruno Suter1, Agnès Destrac-Irvine1, Mark Gowdy1, Zhanwu Dai2, Cornelis van Leeuwen1

1EGFV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, F-33882 Villenave d’Ornon, France
2Beijing Key Laboratory of Grape Science and Enology and Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China

Contact the author

Keywords

Grapevine cultivar, berry sugar accumulation, climate change, phenotypic plasticity, modelling

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2020

Citation

Related articles…

Behaviour of two training systems for mechanical pruning combined with different nitrogen fertilizations on cv. Colombard

Today winegrowers involved in mechanical winter pruning are applying this viticultural technique on two main training systems, the free cordon, appearing to be the more efficient, and the trellised vertical shoot positioning (VSP) system. The main reasons for maintaining the trellis are generally due to common habits in vineyard management, risk of wind damage for the shoots, or risk of decrease in photosynthesis potential. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of the two training systems on vine. In addition, different nitrogen fertilization levels were applied on the two systems to evaluate the best combination to achieve yield and grape quality.

Les micro-zones et les technologies traditionnelles de la viniculture en Géorgie

La Géorgie est un pays d’une tradition très ancienne de viticulture et de viniculture. Là, dans les micro zones spécifiques, en précisant le lieu on produit de différents types du vin d’une

Exploring the effect of oxygen exposure during malolactic fermentation on red wine color

this research investigates the impact of early oxygen exposure, also during malolactic fermentation (MLF), on pigments and color of a red wine from Sangiovese grapes

Better understand the soil wet bulb formation with subsurface or aerial drip irrigation in viticulture

The gradual change in rainfall patterns experienced in the south of France vineyards, especially around the Mediterranean sea, means that the vines are increasingly subject to summer drought. The winegrowers developped the use of irrigation techniques to ensure the maintenance of competitive yields in the production of wines under Protected Geographical Indication label. In practice, drip irrigation pipes can be installed above the ground or buried into the soil as well as at different distances from the vine row. The objective of this study was to examine the profiles of the wet bulbs of the soil obtained from two drip irrigation systems : aerial drip located under the vine row and subsurface drip placed in the middle of the inter-row. This experiment took place over two consecutive seasons (2020-2021) on a 3.4 ha Viognier plot in the Mediterranean region (PGI Oc, France) on sandy clay soil. The annual rainfalls were less than 400 mm. Soil water content probes were installed at different depths (20 – 40 – 60 – 80 cm) and at different lateralities from the vine row (30 – 60 – 90 – 120 cm) to control the formation of the soil wet bulb during irrigation. The mapping and the analysis of the data allowed a better understanding and differentiation of the water percolation when irrigating with subsurface or aerial drip. For the same amount of water and without differences of vine water status, it is shown that in a subsurface drip irrigation situation, the size of the wet bulb formed is larger than in aerial drip irrigation system.

Experimental vinification of withered grapes of Vitis vinifera “Muscat of Alexandria”

The objective of the present work is to investigate wine produced from dehydrated grapes and vinified according to classical Roman manuals.

METHODS – Locally produced Muscat of Alexandria’s grapes were used for the sweet wine production, grown in the experimental vineyard of Instituto Superior de Agronomia (Lisbon, Portugal). The grapes were harvested manually slightly over-ripe and subjected to greenhouse drying. After 7-10 days dried grapes were transported to an experimental winery for various operations (e.g., grape weighing, sorting, crushing/destemming). Several maceration protocols were used comprising the addition of saltwater and white wine to whole bunches or destemmed grapes. Fermentation was conducted with the addition of commercial yeast. The standard physico-chemical parameters of wines were determined according to the OIV standards.