Terroir 2006 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Soil fertility and confered vigour by rootstocks

Soil fertility and confered vigour by rootstocks

Abstract

The adaptation of rootstock to scion variety and soil determines largely the control of the vegetative growth for grapevine. Many experiments were performed in the vineyard to classify the rootstocks according to their soil adaptation and to their effect on vine vigour. So far there are no data describing the course of appearance of rootstock effects after plantation. Moreover the underlying mechanisms of conferred vigour remain largely unknown. An experimental vineyard was planted with 2 varieties (Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon) grafted onto 3 known rootstocks (Riparia Gloire de Montpellier, SO4 and 110R) in a gravely soil from Bordeaux area. Two years after plantation, a high level of soil fertility was created on half of the plot, by adding 100 N units at spring and watering the vines during summer. Soon after plantation and during 4 years, developmental data (phenological stages, shoot growth, shoot diameter, leaf area, pruning wood weight, bud fertility and yield) and physiological data (water status, leaf gas exchanges, mineral analysis, stored carbohydrates) were collected all through the seasons.

It was observed that the rootstocks affected vine vegetative growth early after plantation, before the vines bared any crop and even in the plot where the fertility was high. Parameters describing vegetative growth (shoot growth rate, shoot diameter, leaf area) and biomass accumulation were highly correlated. Significant differences between rootstock / scion combinations were recorded on leaf gas exchanges, stored carbohydrates and water status. However these effects are closely related to the vegetative and reproductive development of the vines. Multidimensional analysis of the data showed the effects of scion variety, rootstock and soil fertility. The invigorating effect of Riparia Gloire de Montpellier remains regardless of soil fertility and scion variety. However this effect is stronger when the scion is Cabernet-Sauvignon. The conferred vigour seems to be related to a very early interaction between rootstock and scion, which occurs regardless of environmental conditions. The determinism of this interaction does not seem to be related to the water and nitrogen status of the vines.

DOI:

Publication date: January 12, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2006

Type: Article

Authors

Jean-Pascal TANDONNET, Louis BORDENAVE, Stéphane DECROOCQ and Nathalie OLLAT

UREFV, INRA, C.R. de Bordeaux, BP 81, 33883 Villenave d’Ornon, France

Contact the author

Keywords

grapevine, rootstock, growth, soil water, nitrogen

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2006

Citation

Related articles…

Climate change projections in serbian wine-growing regions

Changes in bioclimatic indices in wine-growing region of Serbia are analyzed under the RCP 8.5 IPCC scenario.

Alternative methods to evaluate the pinking susceptibility of white wines: derivative spectroscopy and ciel*a*b* colour analysis

Pinking describes the appearance of a salmon-red blush in white bottled wines produced exclusively from white grape varieties. It is understood as an undesirable chromatic phenomenon by both wine consumers and the industry. Nowadays, there are no treatments to fully reverse pinking once it occurs. Partial reversion has been shown after exposure of pinked wine to ultraviolet (UV) light.

Enological potential of red grapes: cultivars and geographic origin of vineyards

The study of technologic and phenolic maturation is very efficient to determinate quality potential of red grapes cultivars and clones under different maturity levels or geographic origins

NIR based sensometric approach for consumer preference evaluation

Climate change has had a global impact on grape production, and as a result, developing table grape varieties that can withstand climate-related threats has become a significant goal. However, it is equally important to ensure that these new grape varieties meet the preferences of consumers. To achieve this goal, a procedure has been developed that combines sensory analysis with spectroscopic data collected in the NIR region. Each sample was analyzed using both traditional analytical techniques and non-destructive NIR spectroscopy.

Spatial variability of temperature is linked to grape composition variability in the Saint-Emilion winegrowing area

Elevated temperature during the grape maturation period is a major threat for grape quality and thus wine quality. Therefore, characterizing the grape composition response to temperature at a larger scale would represent a crucial step towards adaptation to climate change. In response to changes in temperature, various physiological mechanisms regulate grape composition. Primary and secondary metabolisms are both involved in this response, with well-known effects, for example on anthocyanins, and lesser known effects, for example on aromas or aroma precursors. At the field scale or at the regional scale, however, numerous environmental or plant-specific factors intervene to make the effects of temperature difficult to distinguish from overall variability. In this study, it was attempted to overcome this difficulty by selecting well-characterized situations with differing temperatures.
A long-term study of air temperature variability across several Merlot vineyards in the Saint-Emilion and Pomerol wine producing area found significant temperature differences and gradients at various time scales linked to environmental factors. From this study area, a few sites were selected with similar age, soil and training system conditions, and with repeated and contrasted temperature differences during the maturation period. The average temperature difference during the maturation period was about 2°C between cooler and warmer sites, a difference similar to that expected under future climate change scenarios. In close vicinity to the temperature sensors at each site, grape berries were sampled at different times until full maturity during 2019 and 2020. Also, berries from bunches on either side of the row were analyzed separately, allowing an investigation of bunch exposure effect associated with the coupling of berry temperature and solar radiation. Four replicates of pooled berries for each time – site – bunch exposure combination were obtained and analyzed for biochemical composition. Analyses of variance of the biochemical composition data collected at different sampling times reveal significant effects associated with temperature, site, and bunch azimuth. For instance, anthocyanins in grape skins are clearly influenced by temperature and solar radiation exposure, with up to 30% reduction in warmer conditions.