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The effects of partial root-zone irrigation and regulated deficit irrigation on the vegetative and reproductive development of field-grown Monastrell grapevines

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Abstract

The effects of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and partial root-zone irrigation (PRI) strategies that apply the same irrigation volumes on vegetative and reproductive development were analyzed during a 3-year-period in field-grown Monastrell grapevines under semiarid conditions. Five treatments were applied: control irrigated at 60 % ETc (crop evapotranspiration) for the whole season (308 mm year−1); RDI-1 and PRI-1 that received the same irrigation as the control before fruit set, 30 % ETc from fruit set to harvest and 45 % ETc post-harvest (192 mm year−1); and RDI-2 and PRI-2 that were the same, except with 15 % ETc from fruit set to harvest (142 mm year−1). Distinctive PRI effects on vegetative and reproductive development were observed depending on the total soil water content and the vine water stress level. PRI-1 vines showed less restriction of vegetative growth, lower leaf abscission, and higher leaf area during post-veraison than RDI-1 vines. Higher supply of water (close to field capacity) via half of the root system in PRI-1 vines maintained better water supply and more favorable phloem sap flow (water and carbohydrates) into the fruit during post-veraison and showed a positive differential effect on fruit growth compared with RDI-1 vines. This was reflected in a higher solute content per berry (12 % higher) and higher fresh berry weight (8 % higher) at harvest in PRI-1 compared to RDI-1 berries. However, this positive effect in fruit growth was not reflected in either an improved final yield or the water use efficiency of PRI-1 vines. In PRI-2, the soil water in the wet half was insufficient to maintain more favorable shoot water supply and phloem sap flow into the berry, and no substantial changes were observed in vine vigor, leaf and fruit growth between PRI-2 and RDI-2. Higher irrigation amount in the wet root zone and higher depth of irrigation under PRI seem to be more effective for 1103P–Mourvedre combination to produce a favorable effect in berry growth and development.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Subprograma Nacional de Recursos y Tecnologías Agrarias through the Projects RTA2005-00103-00-00 and RTA2008-00037-C04-04 with the collaboration of The European Social Fund. Pascual Romero-Azorin gratefully acknowledges a doctoral contract in the INIA-CCAA system supplied by the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) and co-financed by The European Social Fund. We thank Atanasio Molina Molina, Aniceto Turpín Bermejo, Antonio Lucas Bermudez, and Cristobal Marín for their cooperation with vineyard management, Juan Jose Sánchez Ruiz and Jose María Rodriguez de Vera-Beltrí for their field assistance and support with laboratory analyses.

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  1. Viticulture Department, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), c/mayor s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain

    Pascual Romero & Adrián Martinez-Cutillas

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  1. Pascual Romero
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  2. Adrián Martinez-Cutillas
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Correspondence to Pascual Romero.

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Communicated by S. Ortega-Farias.

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Romero, P., Martinez-Cutillas, A. The effects of partial root-zone irrigation and regulated deficit irrigation on the vegetative and reproductive development of field-grown Monastrell grapevines. Irrig Sci 30, 377–396 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-012-0347-z

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