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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #232026
Title: Influence of deficit irrigation on nutrient indices in wine grape (Vitis vinifera L.)

Author
item Shellie, Krista
item BROWN, BRAD - UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO

Submitted to: Agricultural Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/23/2012
Publication Date: 3/1/2012
Citation: Shellie, K., Brown, B. 2012. Influence of deficit irrigation on nutrient indices in wine grape (Vitis vinifera L.). Agricultural Sciences. 3:268-273.

Interpretive Summary: Deficit irrigation, the practice of intentionally imposing a water stress on the grape vine, is used on red wine grape cultivars to beneficially influence vine vigor and grape composition in semi-arid, New World production regions. Vine tissue nutrient content is a function of root uptake, translocation within the vine, and biochemical modification, any of which could be influenced by inherent cultivar differences and/or by differing levels of vine water status. The objective of this research was to identify tissue nutrient content variability among wine grape cultivars under well-watered and deficit-irrigated conditions and determine whether irrigation or irrigation by cultivar interactions confound tissue nutrient concentration interpretation. Differences in tissue macro and micronutrient content at bloom and veraison were observed among nine wine grape cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) grown under well-watered or deficit-irrigated conditions over three growing seasons. Deficit irrigation affected the concentration of petiole NO3-N and blade N, Cu, and K, but there was a significant cultivar by irrigation interaction for petiole NO3-N and blade K. Deficit-irrigated vines had higher petiole NO3-N than their well-watered counterparts; however, the magnitude of increase varied by cultivar from 2 (‘Viognier’ and ‘Lemberger’) to 13-fold (‘Grenache). Deficit-irrigated vines had lower (Malbec, Petite syrah, Viognier, and Sangiovese), higher (Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) or similar (Grenache, Merlot and Lemberger) blade K as their well-watered counterparts. The tissue nutrient content of the cultivars Merlot and Sangiovese were identified as most nutritionally rich and poor, respectively. Results from this research suggest that deficit irrigation can confound interpretation of tissue nutrient concentration. Use of tissue sampling as a prescriptive tool for nutrient management is limited by the lack of cultivar specific standards for interpretation and the influence of deficit irrigation practices.

Technical Abstract: Differences in tissue macro and micronutrient content at bloom and veraison were observed among nine wine grape cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) grown under well-watered or deficit-irrigated conditions over three growing seasons. Deficit irrigation affected the concentration of petiole NO3-N and blade N, Cu, and K, but there was a significant cultivar by irrigation interaction for petiole NO3-N and blade K. Deficit-irrigated vines had higher petiole NO3-N than their well-watered counterparts however the magnitude of increase varied by cultivar from 2 (‘Viognier’ and ‘Lemberger’) to 13-fold (‘Grenache). Deficit-irrigated vines had lower (Malbec, Petite syrah, Viognier, and Sangiovese), higher (Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) or similar (Grenache, Merlot and Lemberger) blade K as their well-watered counterparts. The tissue nutrient content of the cultivars Merlot and Sangiovese were identified as most nutritionally rich and poor, respectively. Results from this research suggest that deficit irrigation, commonly used on red cultivars to enhance fruit composition, can confound interpretation of tissue nutrient concentration. Use of tissue sampling as a prescriptive tool for nutrient management is limited by the lack of cultivar specific standards for interpretation and the influence of deficit irrigation practices.