Articles
PLANT SPACING EFFECTS ON ROOT GROWTH AND DRY MATTER PARTITIONING OF VITIS VINIFERA L. CV. PINOT NOIR/99 RICHTER AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SOIL UTILISATION
Article number
526_4
Pages
63 – 74
Language
English
Abstract
Six plant spacings (3 x 3 m, 3 x 1.5 m, 2 x 2 m, 2 x 1 m, 1 x 1 m, 1 x 0.5 m) were evaluated for their effect on soil conditions, and on aboveground and subterranean growth, and starch contents of different plant parts of vertically trellised Vitis vinifera L. cv.
Pinot noir vines grafted onto rootstock 99 Richter.
The vines were pruned to six buds/m2 soil surface area and supplementary irrigated just after pea size and v’raison stages.
Apparently higher bulk densities in the top soil layers of closer spacings may have impeded colonisation by roots.
At ripeness, both narrow and wide spacings had lower soil water contents than medium spaced vines, particularly in deeper layers.
Higher soil temperatures found for wide spacings during the ripening phase probably contributed to a marked decrease in soil water content from v’raison to ripeness.
In contrast, the physical between-row distance resulted in the soil surface of narrow spacings being almost continuously shaded during the growth season; a possible reduction in evapotranspiration was, however, not sufficient to maintain soil water at the same level than that of wider spacings or to prevent physiological symptoms of water stress.
Lowest yield/vine, but highest yield/ha was found for closely spaced vines.
Considering yield/m2 soil surface, optimum yields were found for medium spaced vines.
The low leaf area/fresh mass of the wide spacings (3 x 3 m, 3 x 1.5 m) indicated that these vines may have been overcropped.
The angle of root penetration and size of the root system increased with wider spacing.
Aboveground and subterranean growth of the closer spaced vines was reduced.
A distinction between in-row spacings of 1.5 m/2 m and wider and those of 1 m and narrower occurred.
Yield, aboveground growth, and subterranean growth were positively related.
Cane mass, root mass, and total vine dry mass/m2 soil surface indicated optimum utilisation of soil volume for medium spaced vines (2 x 2 m, 2 x 1 m). Yield, cane mass, and root density/m2 profile wall were negatively related.
Although different plant spacings would nullify root density as an indicator of aboveground growth, the higher root densities of closer spaced vines probably contributed to the increased performance of these vines on a m2 soil surface basis.
Apparently higher starch concentrations occurred in the cordons, trunks and roots of wider spaced vines.
Roots contained the highest starch concentrations, followed by the trunk, cordon, canes and rootstock trunk.
Starch contents of aboveground and subterranean plant parts were similar.
The ratio of aboveground/subterranean starch content was lower for closely spaced vines.
Considering all parameters, medium spaced vines (2 x 2 m, 2 x 1 m) consistently performed optimally.
Pinot noir vines grafted onto rootstock 99 Richter.
The vines were pruned to six buds/m2 soil surface area and supplementary irrigated just after pea size and v’raison stages.
Apparently higher bulk densities in the top soil layers of closer spacings may have impeded colonisation by roots.
At ripeness, both narrow and wide spacings had lower soil water contents than medium spaced vines, particularly in deeper layers.
Higher soil temperatures found for wide spacings during the ripening phase probably contributed to a marked decrease in soil water content from v’raison to ripeness.
In contrast, the physical between-row distance resulted in the soil surface of narrow spacings being almost continuously shaded during the growth season; a possible reduction in evapotranspiration was, however, not sufficient to maintain soil water at the same level than that of wider spacings or to prevent physiological symptoms of water stress.
Lowest yield/vine, but highest yield/ha was found for closely spaced vines.
Considering yield/m2 soil surface, optimum yields were found for medium spaced vines.
The low leaf area/fresh mass of the wide spacings (3 x 3 m, 3 x 1.5 m) indicated that these vines may have been overcropped.
The angle of root penetration and size of the root system increased with wider spacing.
Aboveground and subterranean growth of the closer spaced vines was reduced.
A distinction between in-row spacings of 1.5 m/2 m and wider and those of 1 m and narrower occurred.
Yield, aboveground growth, and subterranean growth were positively related.
Cane mass, root mass, and total vine dry mass/m2 soil surface indicated optimum utilisation of soil volume for medium spaced vines (2 x 2 m, 2 x 1 m). Yield, cane mass, and root density/m2 profile wall were negatively related.
Although different plant spacings would nullify root density as an indicator of aboveground growth, the higher root densities of closer spaced vines probably contributed to the increased performance of these vines on a m2 soil surface basis.
Apparently higher starch concentrations occurred in the cordons, trunks and roots of wider spaced vines.
Roots contained the highest starch concentrations, followed by the trunk, cordon, canes and rootstock trunk.
Starch contents of aboveground and subterranean plant parts were similar.
The ratio of aboveground/subterranean starch content was lower for closely spaced vines.
Considering all parameters, medium spaced vines (2 x 2 m, 2 x 1 m) consistently performed optimally.
Authors
J.J. Hunter
Keywords
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