 IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Macrowine 9 Macrowine 2021 9 Grapevine diversity and viticultural practices for sustainable grape growing 9 Is it possible to approximate the technological and phenolic maturity of grapes by foliar application of elicitors?

Is it possible to approximate the technological and phenolic maturity of grapes by foliar application of elicitors?

Abstract

AIM: The increase in the temperature and the more severe water stress conditions, trends observed in recent years as a consequence of climate change, are leading a mismatch between the technological and phenolic maturity of grapes [1]. As a strategy to face this situation, the use of apatite (Ap) nanoparticles as nano-transporters of the elicitor, methyl jasmonate (Ap-MeJ), is proposed. Elicitors are compounds that, when applied to plants, activate their defense mechanisms, increasing the synthesis of secondary metabolites, mainly phenolic compounds [2, 3]. To date, methyl jasmonate (MeJ) has been used conventionally, but its “nano” application could improve its penetration into the plant, releasing it slowly, which would allow a reduction in the dose to be applied. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the influence of foliar application of conventional MeJ and MeJ formulated in “nano” form on the composition of Tempranillo grapes during ripening.

METHODS: The experimental design was a randomized block design with three treatments, each in triplicate, with 10 vines per replicate. Foliar applications were carried out at veraison and 7 days later. In each application, 200 mL of solution was applied per plant, being the treatments: control (water), MeJ (10 mM) and Ap-MeJ (1 mM). Grape samples were taken at five points in time: one day before the first application (Fol1), one day before the second application (Fol2), fifteen days after the second application (Pre: pre-harvest), the day of harvest (Vend) and 15 days after harvest (Post: post-harvest). In each sample, the general parameters were determined using official methods [4]: ºBrix, pH, total acidity, glucose+fructose, malic acid, and total phenols.

RESULTS: The results obtained with the foliar application of MeJ as a tool to approximate the phenolic and technological maturity are promising. It has been observed that both, conventional MeJ and Ap-MeJ treatments, slightly reduced ºBrix of grapes and increased their phenolic content. Throughout ripening, the increase in phenolic compounds was mainly evident from pre-harvest to post-harvest, with a higher content in grapes treated with Ap-MeJ.

CONCLUSIONS:

The application of MeJ could be an appropriate technique to mitigate the negative effects of decoupling in grape ripening related to the climate change. Moreover, the use of Ap-MeJ allows to optimize its dosage, contributing to a sustainable and economically viable viticulture.

DOI:

Publication date: September 1, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Teresa Garde-Cerdán , Carretera De Burgos, Pérez-Álvarez, Baroja, Ramírez-Rodríguez, Martínez-Vidaurre, Delgado-López P. Rubio-Bretón, Garde-Cerdán

Instituto De Ciencias De La Vid Y Del Vino (Csic, Universidad De La Rioja, Gobierno De La Rioja). Km. 6. 26007 Logroño, Spain,E.P.
Instituto De Ciencias De La Vid Y Del Vino E.
Instituto De Ciencias De La Vid Y Del Vino G.B. Universidad De Granada J.M.
Instituto De Ciencias De La Vid Y Del Vino J.M.
Instituto De Ciencias De La Vid Y Del Vino T.
Instituto De Ciencias De La Vid Y Del Vino

Contact the author

Keywords

Elicitors; nanotechnology; methyl jasmonate; foliar application; vineyard; grape composition; ripening; phenolic maturity; technological maturity; climate change

Citation

Berry weight loss in Vitis vinifera (L.) cultivars during ripening

Berry shriveling (BS) in vineyards are caused by numerous factors such as sunburn, dehydration, stem necrosis. Climate change results in an increase in day and night temperatures, rainfall throughout the year, changes in the timing and quantities, long dry summers and a combination of climatic variability such as floods, droughts and heatwaves). Grape development and its composition at harvest is influenced by the latter as grape metabolites are sensitive to the environmental conditions. The grape berry experiences water loss and an increase in flavour development as a result of the BS. An increased sugar content in grapes will result in higher alcohol wines and concentration of grape aromas which may be detrimental to the final wine quality.

Recent advances in our understanding of the impact of climate change on wine grape production

According to the last IPCC report, the scale of recent climate changes are unprecedented over many centuries. Each of the last four decades has been successively warmer than any decade since 1850. Projections for the future foresee that temperature could reach +3.3°C to +5.7°C under the most pessimistic scenario. It is also projected that every region will face more concurrent and multiple changes in climatic impact-drivers. The frequency of extreme climate events is also likely to increase, as well as the occurrence of indirect constraints. These evolving climatic conditions are alrealdy affecting and will continue to affect the suitability of traditional wine grape production areas, but also create opportunities in new locations.

Fungal resident flora of a new winery: colonization, dynamics and potential persistence capacities

Through the years, extensive studies have been conducted on fungal biodiversity during the winemaking process: from the vineyard until aging.

Geospatial technologies in spatially defined viticulture: case study of a vineyard with Agiorgitiko variety in Koutsi, Nemea, Greece

Geospatial technologies have significant contribution to viticulture, especially in small-scale vineyards, which require precise management. Geospatial data collected by modern technologies, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and satellite imagery, can be processed by modern software and easily be stored and transferred to GIS environments, highlighting important information about the health of vine plants, the yield of grapes and the wine, especially in wine-making varieties. The identification of field variability is very important, particularly for the production of high quality wine. Modern geospatial data management technologies are used to achieve an easy and effortless localization of the fields’ variability.

How to transform the odor of a white wine into a red wine? Color it red!

Does a white wine smell like red wine if you color it with red food coloring? A study by Morrot, Brochet, and Dubourdieu (2001, Brain and Language) suggests so. Subjects perceived red wine odors when tasting white wine that had been colored red. The perceived odor profile of the colored white wine became similar to that of a red wine. However, the forced-choice procedure used by Morrot et al. has some methodological shortcomings. Here, we used an alternative method (a rating procedure) to evaluate the presented wines.