Articles
Relationships among vineyard vigor, water status, and nutritional status in five grapevine cultivars
Article number
1468_46
Pages
349 – 356
Language
English
Abstract
Spatial variability management within vineyards is increasingly important under climate change.
In 2024, a study was conducted in Tuscany, Italy, to assess the relationship between vineyard vigor and key physiological parameters in five grapevine cultivars (‘Sangiovese’, ‘Merlot’, ‘Syrah’, ‘Cabernet Franc’, and ‘Petit Verdot’). The vineyards (0.7 ha each) were planted in 2012 on 101-14 rootstock, trained to a vertical shoot positioned system with double Guyot pruning.
Spatial variability in vigor was estimated using Sentinel-2 NDVI data, while vine water and nutritional status were monitored through leaf porometer (stomatal conductance, gs) and SPAD measurements.
Vines in high NDVI zones showed higher pre-veraison gs values (180-250 mmol m-2 s-1) than those in low-vigor areas (60-120 mmol m-2 s-1), particularly in ‘Merlot’ and ‘Petit Verdot’, confirming a strong link between canopy vigor and stomatal activity during early maturity.
After veraison, gs decreased to 50-100 mmol m-2 s-1 and differences between vigor zones diminished considerably.
In ‘Sangiovese’, and to a lesser extent in ‘Syrah’, an inversion of gs values was observed, with slightly higher post-veraison conductance in low-vigor areas.
This suggests that vigorous canopies, with higher transpiration demand, were more sensitive to water shortage, while smaller canopies adapted earlier to stress conditions.
Correlation analysis supported these findings.
At the pre-veraison stage, gs was strongly correlated with SPAD (r=0.52-0.92) and NDVI (r=0.78-0.94). After veraison, correlations weakened or inverted, with negative gs-NDVI relationships in ‘Cabernet Franc’ and ‘Sangiovese’, and moderate positive associations in ‘Petit Verdot’. Overall, NDVI-based vigor zoning effectively identified functional differences in vine water and nutritional behavior before veraison.
However, after veraison, canopy size and transpiration demand increasingly modulated vine responses, highlighting the need for cultivar- and stage-specific interpretation of remote and proximal sensing indicators.
In 2024, a study was conducted in Tuscany, Italy, to assess the relationship between vineyard vigor and key physiological parameters in five grapevine cultivars (‘Sangiovese’, ‘Merlot’, ‘Syrah’, ‘Cabernet Franc’, and ‘Petit Verdot’). The vineyards (0.7 ha each) were planted in 2012 on 101-14 rootstock, trained to a vertical shoot positioned system with double Guyot pruning.
Spatial variability in vigor was estimated using Sentinel-2 NDVI data, while vine water and nutritional status were monitored through leaf porometer (stomatal conductance, gs) and SPAD measurements.
Vines in high NDVI zones showed higher pre-veraison gs values (180-250 mmol m-2 s-1) than those in low-vigor areas (60-120 mmol m-2 s-1), particularly in ‘Merlot’ and ‘Petit Verdot’, confirming a strong link between canopy vigor and stomatal activity during early maturity.
After veraison, gs decreased to 50-100 mmol m-2 s-1 and differences between vigor zones diminished considerably.
In ‘Sangiovese’, and to a lesser extent in ‘Syrah’, an inversion of gs values was observed, with slightly higher post-veraison conductance in low-vigor areas.
This suggests that vigorous canopies, with higher transpiration demand, were more sensitive to water shortage, while smaller canopies adapted earlier to stress conditions.
Correlation analysis supported these findings.
At the pre-veraison stage, gs was strongly correlated with SPAD (r=0.52-0.92) and NDVI (r=0.78-0.94). After veraison, correlations weakened or inverted, with negative gs-NDVI relationships in ‘Cabernet Franc’ and ‘Sangiovese’, and moderate positive associations in ‘Petit Verdot’. Overall, NDVI-based vigor zoning effectively identified functional differences in vine water and nutritional behavior before veraison.
However, after veraison, canopy size and transpiration demand increasingly modulated vine responses, highlighting the need for cultivar- and stage-specific interpretation of remote and proximal sensing indicators.
Authors
S. Nesi, C. Bordoni, G. Caruso
Keywords
NDVI, satellite, SPAD, stomatal conductance, yield parameters
Groups involved
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