Application of sugar foam to vineyard acid soils under mediterranean conditions

[EN] Calcium (Ca) deficiency and aluminium (Al) toxicity are considered major chemical constraints that limit vine growth in vineyard acid soils under Mediterranean conditions. The main aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of three doses of sugar foam (900, 1 800 and 2 700 kg CaCO3 /ha) on five soil properties (pH in water, Ca, Mg, K and Al exchangeable contents) and Ca concentrations in petioles and canes of one wine grape variety. Research was conducted over three seasons (2006 to 2008) in a random block design at León (Spain). The results for plants and soils were subjected to general lineal model analysis. As a result, one linear model, validated through a cross-validation procedure, has been proposed to predict exchangeable calcium levels in vineyard acid soils at véraison. Based on the results for the soils, the higher doses of sugar foam (1 800 and 2 700 kg CaCO3 /ha) were the most effective doses in decreasing Al exchangeable and increasing Ca exchangeable contents. In addition, liming increased Ca content in petioles and decreased Ca content in canes, but in both cases these differences were not significant.S

The Importance of Liming with an Appropriate Liming Material: Long-Term Experience with a Typic Palexerult

[EN] Aluminium phytotoxicity is considered the main limiting factor for crop productivity in agricultural acid soils. Liming is a common practice used to improve acidic soil properties, but an appropriate liming material is essential for both agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. A long-term field experiment with two liming amendments (dolomitic limestone and limestone) was developed during 10 years to determine the changes in soil acidity and assess the effects on crop (rye) yields. Although the adverse effects of the soil acidity conditions were alleviated with both amendments tested, dolomitic limestone was the most effective in the short- and long-term period. In terms of the saturation of exchange complex, dolomitic limestone had a better efficiency, likely based on its rate of dissolution. No significant changes in soil organic matter and exchangeable potassium levels between the treatments tested were found. Both liming materials significantly increased the rye total biomass, but interestingly, significant correlations were showed between tissue levels of magnesium and biomass production, but not between the latter and calcium. The increases in rye biomass production compared with control soils at the end of the research were the following: dolomitic limestone, 47%, and limestone, 32%. A link between an increase in magnesium bioavailability and biomass production was found, as well as between magnesium rye content and total, spike and stem biomass. Hence, it could conceivably be hypothesized that since magnesium is crucial for the transport of assimilates from source leaves to sink organs, alleviating its deficiency leads to avoiding the reducing growth rate of sink organs. Although further investigations are needed to gain a better understanding of liming on the biological, chemical and physical soil properties in the long term, our research provides support for the conceptual premise that an appropriate selection of liming material is crucial for the productivity of acid soils.S

Influence of overliming vineyard acid soils on the macro-nutritional status of grapevines

[EN] Aim of study: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of overliming with dolomitic lime on the topsoil and grapevine macro-nutritional levels (both petiole and grape tissues), as well as on berry weight and must quality properties in grapevines growing on an acid soil.Area of study: The study was carried out in the viticultural region of El Bierzo (Spain), one of the main wine protected designation of origin in the northwest of Spain.Material and methods: The effects of overliming were studied in soil parameters, petiole and grape tissues, as well as in must quality during three years (2014-2016). Data analysis was performed using factorial ANOVA (both parametric and non-parametric tests have been used).Main results: The results found on the soil levels of magnesium and phosphorus were mirrored by those shown in petiole and grape tissues. Data suggest that insufficient Mg supply in vineyard acid soils could lead to a lower P vascular movement in vines. Additionally, our findings suggest that a great decrease of K levels in vine tissues as a consequence of overliming, could lead to changes in harvest quality.Research highlights: Overliming with dolomitic limestone in large quantities decreased soil exchangeable K, as well as improved supply of exchangeable Mg and available P. Additionally Mg and P levels in both petiole and grape tissues were significantly affected by overliming.SIWe are especially grateful to “Losada Vinos de Finca, SA”, for its assistance in the research project

Assessing the effects of soil liming with dolomitic limestone and sugar foam on soil acidity, leaf nutrient contents, grape yield and must quality in a Mediterranean vineyard

[EN] Aluminium toxicity has been recognized as one of the most common causes of reduced grape yields in vineyard acid soils. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two liming materials, i.e. dolomitic lime and sugar foam, on a vineyard cultivated in an acid soil. The effects were studied in two soil layers (0-30 and 30-60 cm), as well as on leaf nutrient contents, must quality properties and grape yield, in an agricultural soil dedicated to Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Mencía’ cultivation. Data management and analysis were performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). As liming material, sugar foam was more efficient than dolomitic limestone because sugar foam promoted the highest decrease in soil acidity properties at the same calcium carbonate equivalent dose. However, potassium contents in vines organs, including leaves and berries, seemed to decrease as a consequence of liming, with a concomitant increase in must total acidity. Soil available phosphorus also decreased as a consequence of liming, especially with sugar foam, though no effects were observed in plants. For these reasons fertilization of this soil with K and P is recommended along with liming. Grape yields in limed soils increased, although non-significantly, by 30%. This research has therefore provided an important opportunity to advance in our understanding of the effects of liming on grape quality and production in acid soils.SIWe are especiallly grateful to “Losada Vinos de Finca, S.A.”, for its assistance in the research project. The authors would also like to thank the editor and the two anonymous reviewers for their comments and remarks that were of much help to improve the article

Auxins seem promising as a tuning method for balancing sugars with acidity in grape musts from cv. Tempranillo, but not defoliation or application of magnesium to leaves

[EN] Global warming boosted by climate change affects grape quality, with increasing total soluble solids (TSS) content and decreasing total acidity (TA). However, current wine preferences increasingly include moderate alcohol content, higher acidity and the preservation of primary aromas reminiscent of grapes. Therefore, we hypothesised that applying phytohormones or mineral nutrients to leaves or carrying out defoliation can improve grape must properties in the face of climate warming and in accordance with current oenological trends. The effects of these three viticultural strategies were assessed independently from one another during three growing seasons in a Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo vineyard in northern Spain. Specifically, three 1-naphtaleneacetic acid (NAA) treatments, two early defoliations (ED; moderate and severe) and two foliar fertilisations with magnesium (Mg) were applied. Treatment with NAA was the most encouraging strategy for decreasing must TSS while increasing TA: it had slight effects on TSS in general and also slight effects on TA when applied close to veraison. The effects of the Mg treatments and moderate ED had null to slightly adverse effects. Finally, severe ED was clearly counter-productive. This study contributes to understanding the effects of both auxin and early defoliation treatments on grape must TSS, acidity and even yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) at harvest time. The favourable effects of NAA application are shown to be consistent though slight. Therefore, according to these results, the application of auxins may be an adequate choice for balancing sugars with acidity in grape musts. However, the results also suggest that more research needs to be undertaken to better characterise the effects of auxin treatments on grape must properties at harvest. In particular, different types of auxins, rates, concentrations and number of applications should be tested in the quest for more marked effects.SIThe authors are most grateful to both Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Ribera del Duero and Bodega and Viñedos Martín Berdugo, S.L., for assisting with this research project

Long-Term Effects of Calcium-Based Liming Materials on Soil Fertility Sustainability and Rye Production as Soil Quality Indicators on a Typic Palexerult

[EN] Liming is a common practice used to improve acidic soil properties, as is essential for agricultural quality. A long-term field experiment with one lime rate (6000 kg/ha of carbonate calcium equivalent) and three calcium-based liming amendments (gypsum, limestone and sugar foam) was maintained on a Typic Palexerult for 10 years in order to determine changes in soil acidity and to assess the effects on crop (rye) yields. The soil acidity conditions decreased with all the amendments tested, but the sugar foam and limestone was more effective than gypsum over a long-term period. No significant changes in organic soil matter levels between the treatments tested were found. Interestingly, an increase in the leaching of organic soil matter was observed in limed soils. Lime application significantly increased the total rye biomass compared to the control soils during the whole experiment (2002–2011). Yield trends observed in spike and stem biomass were similar to those reported for total rye biomass. In this respect, at the end of the research, gypsum, limestone and sugar foam increased in relation to the total production of rye biomass by 16%, 32% and 38%, respectively, as compared to the control soils. Additionally, a significant and prolonged difference in calcium concentrations in rye stems between unlimed and limed subplots was observed. However, in spite of the results presented here, further investigations are needed to gain a better understanding of the long-term effects of liming on the chemical properties of soil.S

Effects of overliming on the nutritional status of grapevines with special reference to micronutrient content

[EN] Aluminium plays a central role in soil acidity, which is one of the main constraints on grape production in humid, northern temperate viticultural regions. To decrease the acidity of vineyard soil, it is usually amended with alkaline materials that provide conjugate bases to weak acids (liming). However, one practical consideration is the danger of overliming, which has potential implications in terms of yield reduction and decreased bioavailability of several mineral nutrients. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of overliming using dolomitic lime on grapevines growing on acid soil. The effects on the topsoil fertility parameters (0–30 cm), petiole and berry nutrient levels, berry weight and must quality properties were studied in a vineyard planted with Vitis vinifera L. cv. Mencía for three years (2014–2016). Data analysis performed using a mixed model that took into account both random effects (year of sampling) and fixed effects (liming treatments) showed that overliming decreased the manganese content in both leaf and berry tissues. Until now, nothing was known about the effects of overliming on both vine nutritional status and harvest quality properties, thus this study fills an important knowledge gap.SIThe authors are most grateful to Losada Vinos de Finca, S.A., for assisting with this research project

Developing tools for evaluating inoculation methods of biocontrol Streptomyces sp. strains into grapevine plants

[EN] The endophytic Streptomyces sp. VV/E1, and rhizosphere Streptomyces sp. VV/R4 strains, isolated from grapevine plants were shown in a previous work to reduce the infection rate of fungal pathogens involved in young grapevine decline. In this study we cloned fragments from randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and developed two stably diagnostic sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers of 182 and 160 bp for the VV/E1 and VV/R4 strains, respectively. The SCAR markers were not found in another 50 actinobacterial strains isolated from grapevine plants. Quantitative real-time PCR protocols based on the amplification of these SCAR markers were used for the detection and quantification of both strains in plant material. These strains were applied on young potted plants using two methods: perforation of the rootstock followed by injection of the microorganisms or soaking the root system in a bacterial suspension. Both methods were combined with a booster treatment by direct addition of a bacterial suspension to the soil near the root system. Analysis of uprooted plants showed that those inoculated by injection exhibited the highest rate of colonization. In contrast, direct addition of either strain to the soil did not lead to reliable colonization. This study has developed molecular tools for analyzing different methods for inoculating grapevine plants with selected Streptomyces sp. strains which protect them from fungal infections that enter through their root system. These tools are of great applied interest since they could easily be established in nurseries to produce grafted grapevine plants that are protected against fungal pathogens. Finally, this methodology might also be applied to other vascular plants for their colonization with beneficial biological control agentsSIThis work was supported by Viveros Villanueva Vides S.L. (Larraga, Spain) which was financed by the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial–CDTI—(Madrid, Spain) through the GLOBALVITI project (CIEN Program) (http://viverosvillanueva.es/, https://www.cdti.es/). SGG was supported by an FPU fellowship (Grant number FPU15/03475) from the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Madrid, Spain) (http://www.mecd.gob.es/). RC was supported by the Programa Torres Quevedo (Grant number PTQ-14-06849) from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Madrid, Spain), (http://www.ciencia.gob.es/

Effects of Leonardite Amendments on Vineyard Calcareous Soil Fertility, Vine Nutrition and Grape Quality

[EN] Vineyard calcareous soils are usually low in organic matter, which makes them prone to physical, chemical, and biological degradation. Besides, these soils are also usually poor in various nutrients in plant-available form, e.g., iron. To make up for this lack of soil fertility, on the one hand, manures, and on the other, iron chelates are usually used. However, the soil application of these materials is not free from problems, and other amendments based on leonardites could be advantageously used as an alternative. Therefore, two organic amendments, one leonardite alone (1 Mg/ha), and the other leonardite (1 Mg/ha) plus ferrous sulphate heptahydrate (0.5 Mg/ha), were tested for three years in a commercial vineyard calcareous plot under Mediterranean climate. The effects of these amendments on soil fertility, plant nutrient contents, and berry quality were studied against a control of bare soil by means of a fully randomized trial with three repetitions per treatment. Soil organic matter (SOM) increased as a consequence of both leonardite treatments, but much more than expected on the basis of a simple mass transfer from the amendments. With the ferrous-sulphate-heptahydrate-supplemented leonardite, the increase in SOM was noticeably higher. This is explained on the basis of nutrient quantity and intensity-pH-related effects, which increased soil nutrient plant-availability and presumably enhanced vine root growth. In response to the higher plant availability of nutrients, the petiole nutrient concentrations were observed to increase under the leonardite treatments. However, only a trend to increase potassium in petioles and in grape must, linked to a decrease of grape must pH, was observed in harvest quality under the leonardite treatments. Leonardite and adequately supplemented leonardite seem to have potential for increasing SOM contents and nutrient plant-availability, thus improving the soil fertility of vineyard calcareous soils.SIThe authors are grateful to Bodegas Vega Sicilia, S.A. for providing the vineyard for the experimental plots

Laboratory Extractions of Soil Phosphorus Do Not Reflect the Fact That Liming Increases Rye Phosphorus Content and Yield in an Acidic Soil

[EN] In addition to aluminum and other heavy metal toxicities, acidic soils also feature nutrient deficits that are not easily overcome by merely adding the required amounts of mineral fertilizers. One of the most critically scarce nutrients in acidic soils is phosphorus, which reacts with aluminum and iron to form phosphates that keep soil phosphorus availability significantly low. Liming ameliorates acidic soils by increasing pH and decreasing aluminum contents; however, it also increases the amount of calcium, which can react with phosphorus to form low-solubility phosphates. In the present work, three liming materials, namely, dolomitic limestone, limestone and sugar foam, were applied on a Typic Palexerult cropped with rye. The effects of these materials on soil properties, including soil available phosphorus extracted with the Olsen and Bray-1 methods, rye phosphorus content in stems and stem and spike harvested biomasses were monitored for nine years. According to the Olsen extraction, the amount of soil available phosphorus generally decreased following liming, with limestone presenting the lowest values; however, the amount of soil available phosphorus increased according to the Bray-1 extraction, though only to a significant extent with the sugar foam from the third year onward. Regardless, the phosphorus content in rye and the relative biomass yield in both stems and spikes generally increased as a consequence of liming. Since crop uptake and growth are the ultimate tests of soil nutrient availability, the inconsistent stem phosphorus content results following the Olsen and Bray-1 extraction methods suggest a lowered efficiency of both extractants regarding crops in soils rich in both aluminum and calcium ions. This decrease can lead to important interpretation errors in the specific conditions of these limed acidic soils, so other methods should be applied and/or researched to better mimic the crop roots’ phosphorus extraction ability. Consequently, the effects of the liming of acidic soils on phosphorus availability and crop performance in the short and long term will be better understood.SIThe authors are grateful to the Neighbour Council of Rioseco de Tapia (León, Spain) for providing the land for the experimental plot