Hydraulic connection of grape berries to the vine: varietal differences in water conductance into and out of berries, and potential for backflow

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Tilbrook ◽  
Stephen D. Tyerman

Weight loss in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Shiraz berries occurs in the later stages of ripening from 90–100 days after anthesis (DAA). This rarely occurs in varieties such as Chardonnay and Thompson seedless. Flow rates of water under a constant pressure into berries on detached bunches of these varieties are similar until 90–100 DAA. Shiraz berries then maintain constant flow rates until harvest maturity, and Chardonnay inflow tapers to almost zero. Thompson seedless maintains high xylem inflows. Hydraulic conductance for flow in and out of individual Shiraz and Chardonnay berries was measured using a root pressure probe. From 105 DAA, during berry weight loss in Shiraz, there were significant varietal differences in xylem hydraulic conductance. Both varieties showed flow rectification such that conductance for inflow was higher than conductance for outflow. For flow into the berry, Chardonnay had 14% of the conductance of Shiraz. For flow out of the berry Chardonnay was 4% of the conductance of Shiraz. From conductance measurements for outflow from the berry and stem water potential measurements, it was calculated that Shiraz could loose ~7% of berry volume per day, consistent with rates of berry weight loss. A functional pathway for backflow from the berries to the vine via the xylem was visualised with Lucifer Yellow CH loaded at the cut stylar end of berries on potted vines. Transport of the dye out of the berry xylem ceased before 97 DAA in Chardonnay, but was still transported into the torus and pedicel xylem of Shiraz at 118 DAA. Xylem backflow could be responsible for a portion of the post-veraison weight loss in Shiraz berries. These data provide evidence of varietal differences in hydraulic connection of berries to the vine that we relate to cell vitality in the mesocarp. The key determinates of berry water relations appear to be maintenance or otherwise of semi permeable membranes in the mesocarp cells and control of flow to the xylem to give variable hydraulic connection back to the vine.

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Tilbrook ◽  
Stephen D. Tyerman

Some varieties of Vitis vinifera L. can undergo berry weight loss during later stages of ripening. This defines a third phase of development in addition to berry formation and berry expansion. Berry weight loss is due to net water loss, but the component water flows through different pathways have remained obscure. Because of the very negative osmotic potential of the cell sap, the maintenance of semipermeable membranes in the berry is required for the berry to counter xylem and apoplast tensions that may be transferred from the vine. The transfer of tension is determined by the hydraulic connection through the xylem from the berry to the vine, which changes during development. Here we assess the membrane integrity of three varieties of V. vinifera berries (cvv. Shiraz, Chardonnay and Thompson seedless) throughout development using the vitality stains, fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide, on fresh longitudinal sections of whole berries. We also measured the xylem pressure using a pressure probe connected to the pedicel of detached berries. The wine grapes, Chardonnay and Shiraz, maintained fully vital cells after veraison and during berry expansion, but began to show cell death in the mesocarp and endocarp at or near the time that the berries attain maximum weight. This corresponded to a change in rate of accumulation of solutes in the berry and the beginning of weight loss in Shiraz, but not in Chardonnay. Continuous decline in mesocarp and endocarp cell vitality occurred for both varieties until normal harvest dates. Shiraz grapes classified as high quality and sourced from a different vineyard also showed the same death response at the same time after anthesis, but they displayed a more consistent pattern of pericarp cell death. The table grape, Thompson seedless, showed near to 100% vitality for all cells throughout development and well past normal harvest date, except for berries with noticeable berry collapse that were treated with giberellic acid. The high cell vitality in Thompson seedless berries corresponded to negative xylem pressures that contrasted to the slightly positive pressures for Shiraz and Chardonnay. We hypothesise that two variety dependent strategies exist for grapevine berries late in development: (1) programmed cell death in the pericarp and loss of osmotically competent membranes that requires concomitant reduction in the hydraulic conductance via the xylem to the vine; (2) continued cell vitality and osmotically competent membranes that can allow high hydraulic conductance to the vine.


Plant Disease ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 86 (7) ◽  
pp. 815-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Latorre ◽  
S. C. Viertel ◽  
I. Spadaro

Severe outbreaks of bunch rots (BR) have occurred recently during harvest of table grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) in Chile. Previously, BR was almost exclusively associated with Botrytis cinerea Pers.:Fr. (2,3); however, in 2000 to 2002, BR symptoms were associated with black molds and possibly nonfilamentous yeasts and bacteria. Cvs. Thompson Seedless, Flame Seedless, Ruby Seedless, and Red Globe were severely affected. Symptoms start at the pedicels as soft, watery rots that partially or completely decay infected berries. Longitudinal cracks are produced, a black mold usually develops along the crack fissures, and the skin of the berry turns light gray. Isolations on potato dextrose agar acidified with 1 N lactic acid (APDA) at 0.5 ml/liter, consistently yielded Rhizopus stolonifer (Ehrenb. ex Fr.) Vuillemin and Aspergillus niger Tiegh. R. stolonifer on APDA produced a white-to-gray aerial and nonseptate mycelium, black and globose sporangia with an elliptical collumela, one-celled, globose to oval, striated, almost hyaline sporangiospores, rhizoids, and stolons. A. niger produced septate mycelium. Single-celled, black, rough walled, globose conidia developed on short chains on the second phialides at the tip of globose, upright conidiophores. Mature (soluble solids >16%) detached berries of cv. Thompson Seedless were inoculated with sporangiospores (≈107 spores per ml) of R. stolonifer isolates RS6, RS52, RS73, and RS79 and conidia (≈108 conidia per ml) of A. niger isolates AN12, AN69, and AN75. When berries were aseptically punctured with a sterile hypodermic syringe prior to inoculation, 60 to 86.7% and 42.5 to 100% of berries were infected with R. stolonifer and A. niger, respectively, and both developed BR symptoms (significantly different from control berries) after 48 h in humid chambers at 23°C. Injuries were needed for infection since no infection or only 23.3% of noninjured berries were infected with R. stolonifer and A. niger, respectively. For both pathogens, there was a significant (P < 0.043) interaction between isolates and the presence or absence of injuries. Both pathogens were successfully reisolated on APDA. Fungicide sensitivity tests were performed on detached cv. Thompson Seedless berries challenged by placing an ≈6 μl-drop of inoculum suspension (106 or 107 spores per ml of R. stolonifer isolate RS52 and A. niger isolate AN12, respectively) on injured berries. Pyraclostrobin (0.067 mg/ml) mixed with nicobifen at 0.134 mg/ml (BAS 516 01 F at 0.201 mg a.i./ml, BASF) and copper oxide at 1.2 mg/ml (Cuprodul 60 WP, Quimetal Chile) significantly (P < 0.01) inhibited infection (100% control) by R. stolonifer and A. niger. R. stolonifer was completely controlled by dicloran at 1.88 mg/ml (Botran 75 WP) and partially controlled by captan at 1.6 mg/ml (Captan 80 WP), but A. niger was not controlled by either fungicide. To our knowledge this is the first report of R. stolonifer causing BR of table grape in Chile (4). The severe outbreaks may be associated with warm weather conditions during harvest and injuries caused by birds, insects, or cultural practices. Infection caused by R. stolonifer or A. niger may be followed by sour rot organisms (yeasts or bacteria), as has been suggested elsewhere (1,2). References: (1) E. Gravot et al. Phytoma 543:36, 2001. (2) W. B. Hewitt Page 26 in: Compendium of Grape Diseases, American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1994. (3) B. A. Latorre and G. Vásquez. Aconex (Chile) 52:16, 1996. (4) F. Mujica and C. Vergara. Flora Fungosa Chilena. Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Agronomiacute;a, Santiago, Chile, 1980.


Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Despoina G. Petoumenou ◽  
Katerina Biniari ◽  
Efstratios Xyrafis ◽  
Dimitrios Mavronasios ◽  
Ioannis Daskalakis ◽  
...  

Hailstorms are typically localized events, and very little is known about their effect on crops. The objective of this study was to examine the physiological and vine performance responses to natural hail, registered four weeks after full bloom, of field-grown Thompson seedless (Vitis vinifera L.) grapevines, one of the most important table grape varieties cultivated in Greece and especially in the Corinthian region in northeastern Peloponnese. Leaf gas exchange, vegetative growth, vine balance indices, cane wood reserves, yield components, and fruit chemical composition were recorded from hail-damaged vines and compared with control vines. Visibly, the extent of the hailstorm damage was great enough to injure or remove leaves as well as cause partial stem bruising and partial injury or total cracking of berries. Our results indicated that natural hail did not affect leaf photosynthesis, berry weight, total acidity, and cane wood reserves but significantly reduced the total leaf area, yield, and the total phenolics of berries at harvest. At the same time, hail-damaged vines increased the leaf area of lateral canes and presented a higher total soluble solid (TSS) accumulation, while no effect on the next year’s fertility was registered. The present work is the first attempt to enhance our understanding of the vegetative yield, berry quality, and physiological responses of grapevines to natural hail, which is an extreme and complex natural phenomenon that is likely to increase due to climate change.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1949
Author(s):  
Eleonora Cataldo ◽  
Linda Salvi ◽  
Sofia Sbraci ◽  
Paolo Storchi ◽  
Giovan Battista Mattii

Soil management in vineyards is of fundamental importance not only for the productivity and quality of grapes, both in biological and conventional management, but also for greater sustainability of the production. Conservative soil management techniques play an important role, compared to conventional tillage, in order to preserve biodiversity, to save soil fertility, and to keep vegetative-productive balance. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate long-term adaptation strategies to create a balance between the vine and the surrounding environment. This work sought to assess the effects of following different management practices on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon during 2017 and 2018 seasons: soil tillage (T), temporary cover cropping over all inter-rows (C), and mulching with plant residues every other row (M). The main physiological parameters of vines (leaf gas exchange, stem water potential, chlorophyll fluorescence, and indirect chlorophyll content) as well as qualitative and quantitative grape parameters (technological and phenolic analyses) were measured. Significant differences in gas exchanges related to the different season and inter-row management were observed. C showed more negative values of water potential, due to the grass–vine competition, especially when water availability was lower. The competition exerted by C led to differences in fruit setting with impact on yield; therefrom, significant differences also in sugar and anthocyanic content were observed.


2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1253-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valtemir Gonçalves Ribeiro ◽  
João Alexio Scarpare Filho

As cultivares de uvas apirênicas (Vitis vinifera L.), via de regra, possuem bagas de tamanhos reduzidos, necessitando de ajustes no manejo para a melhoria da qualidade dos cachos, sendo a aplicação de reguladores de crescimento um dos tratamentos mais eficazes. Objetivou-se com o presente trabalho avaliar os efeitos do forchlorfenuron (CPPU: 0 e 10 mgL-1) combinado ao ácido giberélico (GA3: 0, 25, 50, 75 e 100 mgL-1) durante o primeiro ciclo de produção das cultivares Centennial Seedless, Flame Seedless e Thompson Seedless. As características avaliadas foram o comprimento, diâmetro e peso de bagas. Para a 'Centennial Seedless', maiores comprimentos, diâmetro e peso de bagas foram obtidos com 100 mgL-1 de GA3; e a concentração de 100 mgL-1 de GA3 adicionada a 10 mgL-1 de CPPU foi a mais responsiva para a 'Flame Seedless' e 'Thompson Seedless', observando-se atrasos na maturação, em termos de sólidos solúveis totais, para todas as cultivares.


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