Effect of vineyard management strategy on the nutritional status of irrigated « Tempranillo » vineyards grown in semi-arid areas

The nitrogen composition of the grapes directly affects the developments of alcoholic fermentation and influences the final aromatic composition of the wines. The aim of this study was to determine the effect and efficiency of foliar applications of urea on the nitrogen composition of grapes. This study was carried out during 2023 vintage and in the Chenin vineyard located in Estacion Experimental Mendoza (Argentina). Three urea concentrations 3, 6 and 9 Kg N/ha (C1, C2, and C3, respectively) and control (T) were applied in this vineyard at veraison. In all solutions were added 1ml/l of Tween 80 ® surfactant.

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB, Halyomorpha halys Stal) is an invasive pentatomid native to eastern Asia that is spreading rapidly worldwide, notably through human-mediated activities. Globally, it was reported in the USA, Canada, Italy, Hungary, and other European countries. BMSB has a broad host range that includes over 170 plants, many of agricultural importance, including various fruit, vegetables, row crops, and ornamentals. When present in the vineyard, the pest can affect yield and quality by directly feeding on berries resulting in fruit collapse and necrosis. Additional damage occurs when BMSB are carried into the winery within the grape clusters. The presence of BMSB during wine processing can affect juice and wine quality through the release of volatile compounds produced as a stress response. The major secretes compounds are tridecane and trans-2-decenal. Tridecane is an odorless compound and its effect on wine quality is currently unknown. Trans-2-decenal is an unsaturated aldehyde considered to be the main component of BMSB taint with strong green, coriander, and musty-like aromas. Its threshold value in wine was estimated at about 5 µg/L.

Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) has long been a ratio to quantify relative plant water status in several crop and woody plants. Given its rather well relationship to either leaf or stem water potential and the feasibility to sample big vineyard areas as well as to collect quite a huge quantity of data with airborne cameras and image processing applications, it is being studied as a tool for irrigation monitoring in commercial vineyards. The objective of this paper was to know if CWSI estimated by measuring leaf temperature with an infrared hand held camera could be used to substitute the measure of stem water potential (SWP) without losing accuracy of plant water status measure.

Ampelography is aimed at describing the vine according to several characteristics, such as morphology, agronomic aptitudes, technological potential, and genetics. The description of varieties and species of vitis has long been the subject of numerous scientific and technical studies by eminent specialists for a long time, which have led the OIV to publish in 1983 the “descriptor list for grape varieties and vitis species”, a milestone among the OIV worldwide recognised codes.

The reflectance spectra of vegetation carry potentially useful information that can be used to determine chemical composition and discriminate between vegetation classes. If compared with analytical methods such as conventional chemical analysis, reflectance measurement provides non-destructive, economic, near real-time data.