Efecto del cambio climático sobre la producción y calidad de las bayas de dos variedades de vid (Vitis vinifera L.), Tempranillo blanco y tinto

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el impacto de un aumento en los niveles de CO2 atmosférico y de temperatura, y un descenso en la disponibilidad hídrica, sobre la producción y calidad de la baya de dos variedades de vid (Vitis vinifera L.), Tempranillo blanco y tinto. Para ello, estaquillas fructíferas de vid fueron expuestas desde cuajado hasta madurez, en invernaderos de gradiente térmico, a ocho tratamientos resultantes de la combinación de: (i) dos niveles de CO2 (ambiente, ca. 390 ppm vs 700 ppm), (ii) dos temperaturas (ambiente vs ambiente + 4ºC) y (iii) dos disponibilidades hídricas (riego vs sequía cíclica). Tempranillo tinto presentó un mayor tamaño del racimo y un mayor número de bayas por racimo, así como una menor riqueza fenólica, en relación a la variedad blanca. Las combinación de CO2 elevado, temperatura elevada y déficit hídrico no modificó significativamente la producción de uva ni el tamaño de la baya en ninguno de los cultivares estudiados. En relación a la calidad de la baya, las condiciones de cambio climático redujeron el índice de polifenoles totales (IPT) y la concentración de ácido málico, y aumentaron los niveles de tartárico en Tempranillo tinto, no viéndose afectados ni la concentración de antocianinas ni la coloración de la baya. En Tempranillo blanco, las condiciones de cambio climático disminuyeron la concentración de ácido tartárico. La variedad tinta mostró una mayor vulnerabilidad a las condiciones de cambio climático, con respecto a la blanca. Los efectos individuales de cada uno de los factores estudiados sobre la producción y calidad de la uva se vieron modulados cuando los factores fueron aplicados en combinación

Effects of climate change scenarios on red and white tempranillo grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.): plant growth and grapes respond to a combination of elevated CO2, temperature and drought

Authors thank the Innovine Project (Combining innovation in vineyard management and genetic diversity for a sustainable European viticulture (Call FP7-KBBE-2012-6, Proposal Nº 311775-INNOVINE)), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [grant number BFU2011-26989] and Gobierno de Aragón (A03 research group) for financial support, Asociación de Amigos de la Universidad de Navarra for PhD Thesis grant.Peer Reviewe

Growth, yield and physiology of Verticillium-inoculated pepper plants treated with ATAD and composted sewage sludge

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of sanitized sewage sludges, ATAD (aerobic thermophilic autothermic digestion) and composted, on Verticillium-induced wilt in pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Piquillo). Two doses of ATAD (15 and 30% v/v) and three of composted sludge (15, 30 and 45% v/v) were applied to a peat-based potting mix. Unamended substrate was included as control. Half of the plants were inoculated with V. dahliae, whereas the other half remained non-inoculated. Result showed that ATAD and composted sludge increased growth and yield of non-inoculated plants. V. dahliae reduced net photosynthesis (P n), mainly as a consequence of stomatal closure, 5 weeks after pathogen inoculation. The actual photosystem II efficiency was also reduced and consequently the electron transport rate (ETR). No photoinhibitory damage was observed at this time in diseased plants. At the end of the experiment, diseased plants showed lower plant biomass and fruit yield. ATAD sludge had little effect on the disease. Compost slightly alleviated Verticillium-induced wilt when applied at lower doses (15% v/v), which resulted in increased P n and ETR, and higher plant biomass and fruit yield. By contrast, higher doses of compost (45% v/v) enhanced the effect of the pathogen, which was related to the high substrate salinity in this treatment

Dissimilar esponses of ancient grapevines recovered in Navarra (Spain) to arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in terms of berry quality

The exploitation of genetic diversity within agricultural plants, including grapevine, is suggested as a valuable tool to cope with the negative impacts of climate change on yield and crop quality. In some winegrowing regions of Europe, there is a renewed interest in knowing the grapevine genetic resources available, focusing on the prospection, recovery, and study of ancient cultivars typical of every zone. Grapevines are naturally associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which provide some benefits to the host plant, although such effects depending on many factors, including variety. Therefore, the aim of this research was to characterize the potential fruit quality of eight old grapevine varieties recovered in Navarre (northeastern of the Iberian Peninsula), associated or not with AMF. The study was carried out on fruit-bearing cuttings grown under controlled conditions (greenhouse). Overall, AMF inoculation reduced bunch and berry mass, as well as phenolic content in fruits. In some varieties, AMF association improved some berry traits by increasing the concentrations of soluble solids and anthocyanins; in others, berry colour, total phenolic and anthocyanin content were diminished in AMF-inoculated plants. The results, therefore, suggest that intraspecific diversity of old grapevines could include different abilities to respond to arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

Improvement of nutritional quality of greenhouse-grown lettuce by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is conditioned by the source of phosphorus nutrition

The improvement of the nutritional quality of lettuce by its association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has been recently reported in a previous study. The aim of this research was to evaluate if the fertilization with three P sources differing in water solubility affects the effectiveness of AMF for improving lettuce growth and nutritional quality. The application of either water-soluble P sources (Hewitt's solution and single superphosphate) or the water-insoluble (WI) fraction of a “rhizosphere-controlled fertilizer” did not exert negative effects on the establishment of the mycorrhizal symbiosis. AMF improved lettuce growth and nutritional quality. Nevertheless, the effect was dependent on the source of P and cultivar. Batavia Rubia Munguía (green cultivar) benefited more than Maravilla de Verano (red cultivar) in terms of mineral nutrients, total soluble sugars, and ascorbate contents. The association of lettuce with AMF resulted in greater quantities of anthocyanins in plants fertilized with WI, carotenoids when plants received either Hewitt's solution or WI, and phenolics regardless of the P fertilizer applied

Grapevine nutritional status and K concentration of must under future expected climatic conditions texturally different soils

Nutrition is a relevant issue for winegrowers because it influences grapevine growth, berry composition, as well as must and wine quality. In this research, the following impacts on the nutritional status of cv. Tempranillo grapevines were evaluated: simulated 2100 expected CO2, temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) conditions (FCC; 700 µmol CO2/mol air, 28/18°C day/night and 33/53% RH, day/night) vs. current CO2, T and RH conditions (Curr; 390 µmol CO2/mol air, 24/14°C and 45/65% RH); well-watered (WW) vs. future expected water deficit (WD); and three texturally different soils with different clay contents (41, 19 and 8%). FCC resulted in reduced concentrations in leaf blades of N and Ca at veraison and N and Zn at full maturity. WD resulted in higher leaf blade Na and Mn concentrations at veraison and maturity, respectively compared to WW. However, K concentrations in the leaves and must were higher for WW than WD. Higher concentrations of Ca and Mn were found in leaf blades of grapevines sampled at full maturity from more clayey soils. Even when nutrient inputs exceeded plant extractions, high soil clay content increased the K concentration in must and consequently, could affect wine quality in terms of acidity loss. However, future expected water stress will have the opposite effect, reducing the berry K uptake under high soil clay (41%) conditions

Characterization of the adaptive response of grapevine (cv. Tempranillo) to UV-B radiation under water deficit conditions

This work aims to characterize the physiological response of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cv. Tempranillo to UV-B radiation under water deficit conditions. Grapevine fruit-bearing cuttings were exposed to three levels of supplemental biologically effective UV-B radiation (0, 5.98 and 9.66 kJ m−2 day−1) and two water regimes (well watered and water deficit), in a factorial design, from fruit-set to maturity under glasshouse-controlled conditions. UV-B induced a transient decrease in net photosynthesis (Anet), actual and maximum potential efficiency of photosystem II, particularly on well watered plants. Methanol extractable UV-B absorbing compounds (MEUVAC) concentration and superoxide dismutase activity increased with UV-B. Water deficit effected decrease in Anet and stomatal conductance, and did not change non-photochemical quenching and the de-epoxidation state of xanthophylls, dark respiration and photorespiration being alternative ways to dissipate the excess of energy. Little interactive effects between UV-B and drought were detected on photosynthesis performance, where the impact of UV-B was overshadowed by the effects of water deficit. Grape berry ripening was strongly delayed when UV-B and water deficit were applied in combination. In summary, deficit irrigation did not modify the adaptive response of grapevine to UV-B, through the accumulation of MEUVAC. However, combined treatments caused additive effects on berry ripening

Prospecting the resilience of several Spanish ancient varieties of red grape under climate change scenarios

Background: Climate change results in warmer air temperatures and an uncertain amount and distribution of annual precipitations, which will directly impact rainfed crops, such as the grapevine. Traditionally, ancient autochthones grapevine varieties have been substituted by modern ones with higher productivity. However, this homogenization of genotypes reduces the genetic diversity of vineyards which could make their ability to adapt to challenges imposed by future climate conditions difficult. Therefore, this work aimed to assess the response of four ancient grapevine varieties to high temperatures under different water availabilities, focusing on plant water relations, grape technological and phenolic maturity, and the antioxidant capacity of the must. Methods: The study was conducted on fruit-bearing cuttings grown in pots in temperature-gradient greenhouses. A two-factorial design was established where two temperature regimes, ambient and elevated (ambient + 4 °C), were combined with two water regimes, full irrigation and post-veraison deficit irrigation, during fruit ripening. Results: There were significant differences among the ancient varieties regarding plant water relations and fruit quality. Conclusion: This research underlines the importance of evaluating the behavior of ancient grapevine varieties that could offer good options for the adaptation of viticulture to future climate condition

Carbon balance, partitioning and photosynthetic acclimation in fruit-bearing grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo) grown under simulated climate change (elevated CO2, elevated temperature and moderate drought) scenarios in temperature gradient

Although plant performance under elevated CO2 has been extensively studied in the past little is known about photosynthetic performance changing simultaneously CO2, water availability and temperature conditions. Moreover, despite of its relevancy in crop responsiveness to elevated CO2 conditions, plant level C balance is a topic that, comparatively, has received little attention. In order to test responsiveness of grapevine photosynthetic apparatus to predicted climate change conditions, grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo) fruit-bearing cuttings were exposed to different CO2 (elevated, 700 ppm vs. ambient, ca. 400 ppm), temperature (ambient vs. elevated, ambient +4 °C) and irrigation levels (partial vs. full irrigation). Carbon balance was followed monitoring net photosynthesis (AN, C gain), respiration (RD) and photorespiration (RL) (C losses). Modification of environment 13C isotopic composition (δ13C) under elevated CO2 (from −10.30 to −24.93‰) enabled the further characterization of C partitioning into roots, cuttings, shoots, petioles, leaves, rachides and berries. Irrespective of irrigation level and temperature, exposure to elevated CO2 induced photosynthetic acclimation of plants. C/N imbalance reflected the inability of plants grown at 700 ppm CO2 to develop strong C sinks. Partitioning of labeled C to storage organs (main stem and roots) did not avoid accumulation of labeled photoassimilates in leaves, affecting negatively Rubisco carboxylation activity. The study also revealed that, after 20 days of treatment, no oxidative damage to chlorophylls or carotenoids was observed, suggesting a protective role of CO2 either at current or elevated temperatures against the adverse effect of water stress

Novel, technical advance: a new grapevine transpiration prototype for grape berries and whole bunch based on relative humidity sensors

Grape berry transpiration is considered an important process during maturation, but scientific evidence is scarce. In the literature, there is only one report showing reduced maturation when bunch transpiration is artificially slowed down. Traditionally, grape berry transpiration has been measured by weighing grape berries on scale for a given time, correctly assuming that the weight reduction is due to water lost. Commercially available instruments adequate to measure gas exchange in small fruits are not suitable for whole grape berry bunch. Here, we present an open differential chamber system that can be used with isolated grape berries or alternatively with a whole grape berry bunch for measuring grape berry/bunch transpiration based on the use of relative humidity sensors from Vaisala. When used with isolated grape berries, open differential chamber system validation was made by using Tempranillo grape berries collected at different phenological stages. For the whole bunch transpiration prototype, two different validations were made. Firstly, measurements were made inserting inside the chamber an increasing number of Eppendorf tubes filled with water. Secondly, transpiration was measured in whole Tempranillo bunches sampled at different phenological stages. An important output of this work is that the fact of detaching the bunch from the plant did not change the bunch gas exchange rates at least for several hours