Viticultural characterisation of soils from triassic period at Beaumes-de-Venise (Côtes du Rhône, France)

La producción vitícola es el resultado de una serie de factores influyentes (variedad, patron) dentro de un medio ecológico­-climatico-edafico, en el que se interactua por medio de técnicas de cultivo adecuadas.

The application of sensors in viticulture is a fast and efficient method to monitor grapevine vegetative, yield and quality parameters and determine their spatial intra-vineyard variability. Molecular analysis at the gene expression level can further contribute to the understanding of the observed variability by elucidating how pathways responsible for different grape quality traits behave in zones diverging for one or the other parameter. The intra-vineyard variability of a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was evaluated by a standard Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) mapping approach, employing UAV platform, accompanied by detailed ground-truthing (e.g. vegetative, yield, and berry ripening compositional parameters) that was applied in 14 spots in the vineyard. Berries from different spots were additionally investigated by microarray gene expression analysis, performed at five time points from fruit set to full ripening.

This work is a first step to make a map of vineyard soils. The characterization of the soils of the Protected Designation of Origin (D.P.O.) Valdepeñas will allow to group the studied profiles according to their physico-chemical characteristics and the concentrations of most relevant chemical elements. 90 soil profiles were analysed throughout the territory and the soils were sampled and described according to FAO (2006) and classified according to and Soil Taxonomy (2014). All samples were air dried, sieved and some physico-chemical parameters were determined following standard protocols. Also, major and trace elements were analysed by X-ray fluorescence. The statistically study was made using the SPSS program. Trend maps were made using the ArcGIS program. The studied soils have the following average properties: pH, 8.3; electrical conductivity, 0,20 dS/m (low); clay, 18.8% (medium) and CaCO3, 17.1% (high). In the study for the major elements. The major elements of these soils are Si, followed by Ca and Al, with an average content of 203.7 g/kg, 105.5 g/kg and 74.0 g/kg respectively. On the other hand, 27 trace elements have been studied. Of all of them, it can be highlighted the average values of Ba (361.8 mg/kg), Sr (129.3 mg/kg), Rb (83.4 mg/kg), V (74.2 mg/kg) and Ce (70.6 mg/kg). Ba, V and Ce values are higher and the values of Sr and Rb are lower to those found in the literature. The discriminant analysis shows a percentage of grouping of 91%. The content of chemical elements together with the physico-chemical characteristics allows grouping the soils in 4 group according to their order in the classification to Soil Taxonomy; due to the importance of the Calcisols in Castilla-La Mancha, it has been decided to establish them as their own group even if they do not appear in Soil Taxonomy classification.

The designations of origin of the Loire Valley wine have been recognized according to customs and notoriety established over the centuries since the Middle Ages. There are four main production basins going up the Loire, from Nantes to the Sancerrois region: Nantes, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine and the vineyards of the Centre. In each of these basins, there is a wide range of appellations of origin which has been established according to a logic which may not seem obvious to the uninformed.

Grapevines are cultivated on 6 out of 7 continents, roughly between latitudes 4° and 56° in the Northern Hemisphere and between 6° and 42° in the Southern Hemisphere across a large diversity of climates (oceanic, warm oceanic, transition temperate, continental, cold continental, Mediterranean, subtropical, attenuated tropical, and arid climates).