ISHS Acta Horticulturae 664: IV International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops
PARTIAL ROOTZONE DRYING OF VITIS VINIFERA CV. 'SHIRAZ' WINEGRAPES IN A SEMI-ARID CLIMATE |
| Authors: | Y.M. Chalmers, G. Kelly, M.P. Krstic |
| Keywords: | partial rootzone drying, winegrapes, leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, fruit quality, anthocyanins |
| Abstract:
Environmental issues such as prolonged drought have triggered the need to reduce the use of irrigated water to a sustainable level. Novel irrigation methods, like partial rootzone drying (PRD), have increased our understanding of plant physiology with respect to plant water use. A field trial was established in Mildura, Northwest Victoria, Australia to determine whether Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Shiraz’ grown in semi-arid conditions were actually producing a PRD response, that being a reduction in stomatal conductance with no loss in plant water potential, and then to measure the responses with respect to yield and fruit quality attributes. Treatments consisted of a control irrigated by two drip lines on either side of the vine row (100% control), a deficit treatment irrigated by a single drip line (50% control), and two PRD treatments alternated between single drip lines on each side of the vine row on a 2 irrigation (50% PRD2) and 14 day (50% PRD14) cycle. There were no significant changes in leaf water potential (ΨL) between any irrigation treatment for measurements conducted at 1000 h and 1500 h. However, stomatal conductance (gs) was significantly reduced at 1500 h for the 50% PRD14 compared with the 100% control. Yield was unaffected across all treatments despite the 50% control and PRD treatments having smaller berry weights and higher total anthocyanin levels compared to the 100% control. Overall the controlled level of water stress did improve water use efficiency whilst being favourable on some of the grape quality attributes. | |
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