Agronomic and qualitative behaviour of cv. Tempranillo according to three vine spacing on two different hydric-edaphic situations in the Duero river valley

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the current and future state of the wine sector in the context of climate change, where the goal was to obtain greater understanding on winegrowers’ perceptions and adaptations to a changing climate and its associated impacts. The study sought to provide both a global and regional perspective on these issues.

At long term, qualitative irrigation seems to be the most systematic, if not the best, cultural practice for dealing with climate change and yield increases without decrease grape quality.

The vineyard has experienced a general increase in yields mainly due to the elevated use of technology which caused a quality loss of grapes in more than one case. A large percentage of the Spanish vineyard is covered by a Denomination of Origin which limits the productive level of the vineyards as one of its regulations. The maximum production limit is a variable characteristic of each vineyard and is not usually regulated by agronomic criteria, and this explains the fact that each vineyard can reach high quality with a totally different yield from that set by the Denomination of Origin.

Plant roots fulfil important functions as they are responsible for the acquisition of water and nutrients, for anchorage and stability, for interaction with symbionts and, in some cases, for the storage of carbohydrates. These functions are associated with the Root System Architecture (RSA, i.e. the form and the spatial arrangement of the roots in the soil). The RSA results from several biological processes (elongation, ramification, mortality…) genetically determined but with high structural plasticity.

‘Mavrodafni’ (Vitis vinifera L.) is considered one of the oldest grapevine cultivars indigenous to the Greek vineyard, with western Peloponnese being its primary center of cultivation. ‘Renio’ is considered to be either a variant of ‘Mavrodafni’ or an altogether different cultivar. Both ‘Mavrodafni’ and ‘Renio’ can be found in the vineyards of the centers of cultivation, since ‘Renio’ is considered to be more productive compared to ‘Mavrodafni’, and for this reason, it has gradually replaced ‘Mavrodafni’ from cultivation over the course of time. The aim of the present study was to assay the mechanical properties, the polyphenolic content and the antioxidant capacity of skin extracts and must of berries coming from ‘Mavrodafni’ and ‘Renio’, cultivated in the same vineyard as well as in the different regions of cultivation of the PDO Mavrodafni Patras.