ISHS Acta Horticulturae 171: I International Symposium on Water Relations in Fruit Crops
OSMOTIC ADJUSTMENT IN GRAPEVINES |
| Author: | H. Düring |
| Abstract:
Like some other plants grapevines are shown to decrease their osmotic potential under conditions of drought stress, thereby actively contributing to increase their drought tolerance. When potted grapevines were stressed by repeated drought and irrigation cycles this led to a lowering of the osmotic potential by as much as 4 bar in the most severely stressed plants. Osmotic adjustment was associated in the leaves with a decrease of starch and an increase of glucose and fructose. Short term reactions of the osmotic potential possibly due to alterations of the evaporative demand of the atmosphere and/or temperature were observed in the apices but not in fully expanded leaves. Under field conditions a prolonged period of drought led to long term reactions in fully expanded leaves as well. Varietal differences in establishing osmotic adjustment are discussed with regard to the selection of drought tolerant genotypes in grape breeding. | |
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