A conceptual model relating soil temperature and water to support decision in Mediterranean vineyards

Abstract

Sustainability and climate together with wine oversupply, are major challenges faced by the wine industry. This is particularly relevant to Mediterranean viticulture, which is increasingly exposed to extreme air temperatures and severe droughts, leading to reduced yields altered berry composition, and threatening the overall sustainability of the sector. Irrigation emerged as a short-term solution to guarantee yield and to improve vines perennity, but it also poses pressure on the already scarce water resources

Soil is a natural resource critical to support ecosystems, economic growth and people’s prosperity worldwide. In viticulture, soils are a central component of the terroir, influencing grapevine condition and wine’s characteristics. Soil temperature (Ts) affects physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in vine plants and the impact of Ts is particularly marked in row crops such as vineyards, as it enhances soil exposure to radiation and favours evapotranspiration (Costa et al. 2019; Egipto et al., 2023). 

Based on previous research, a conceptual model has been developed to examine and estimate the impact of Ts and soil water availability on vine growth, yield and berry composition (Costa et al., 2023). This conceptual model integrates soil-vine interactions to estimate the potential impact of soil moisture and temperature on grapevine agronomical performance, reflecting the influence of soil water and thermal conditions. The aim is to use air temperature (Ta), Ts, canopy temperature (Tc), and cluster/berry temperature (Tberry) as key input parameters for models that support decision making in vineyard management (e.g. irrigation, canopy and soil management strategies).

We used raw data from several commercial vineyards located in distinct wine regions characterized by different climate and soil conditions. The variation of Ts at different depths and throughout the day showed to depend on the time of the day, irrigation events and soil characteristics (e.g. sandy vs clay). However, we identified significant limitations in data organization, which requires further optimization to effectively support the conceptual model.

References

Costa JM, Egipto R, Aguiar FC, Marques P, Nogales A, Madeira M (2023) The role of soil temperature in mediterranean vineyards in a climate change context. Front. Plant Sci.. 14: (2023).

Costa JM, Egipto R, Sánchez-Virosta A, Lopes CM, Chaves MM (2019). Canopy and soil thermal patterns to support water and heat stress management in vineyards. Agric.Water       Man.,216:484-496.

Egipto R, Aquino A, Costa JM, Andújar JM (2023). Predicting Crop Evapotranspiration under Non-Standard Conditions Using Machine Learning Algorithms, a Case Study for V. vinifera L. cv Tempranillo. Agronomy,  13(10): 2463.