Grape ripening timing as a base for viticultural zoning: an agro-ecological approach

Spring freeze events threaten grape production globally. As grape buds emerge from dormancy in spring, freezing temperatures have the potential to damage green tissues, decreasing yield potential and compromising fruit quality by harvest.

The elemental composition (the ionome) of grape leaves is an important indicator of nutritional
health, but its genetic architecture has received limited scientific attention. In this study, we
analyzed the leaf ionome of 131 interspecific F1 hybrid progeny from a Vitis rupestris (♀) X Vitis
riparia (♂) cross. The progeny were replicated in New York, South Dakota, Southwest Missouri ad Central Missouri, and the concentration of 20 elements were measured in their leaves at
three different phenological stages during the growing season. In leaves collected at the apical node at anthesis, elemental concentrations correlated in a consistent manner (p < 0.05) across all four geographic locations. In subsequent phenological stages, elemental ratios in the apical-node leaves remained consistent across the South Dakota and New York sites, but not across the Missouri sites. In leaves collected at the basal and middle nodes, correlations varied greatly across all locations.

Soil mulching is an interesting strategy to reduce soil evaporation, assist in weed control, improve soil structure and organic content, increase soil water infiltration, and decrease diurnal temperature fluctuations

Implementing alternative grapevine systems that incorporate sustainable strategies and innovative farming practices is essential. However, we lack tools for measuring the impact of these new practices on the overall sustainability of vineyards. DEXi PM Vigne (Gary et al., 2015) is a tool developed for ex ante assessment of the sustainability of grapevine cropping systems, from the plot to the farm scale. In the present study, we focused on implementing new strategies of integrated crop protection management with limited pesticide use in vineyards.

The availability of water for irrigation is usually greater at the beginning of spring than in the following months, until the end of summer, in most regions of Spain.