Leaf water potential, nutritional status and must composition in grapes ‘pinot nero’ with and without irrigation

Abstract

Irrigating vineyard soils can affect grapevine water potential, nutritional status, and must composition. This study aimed to evaluate leaf water potential, nutritional status, and must composition in cv. ‘Pinot Nero’ grapevines grown with and without irrigation. The experiment was conducted at a commercial vineyard of ‘Pinot Nero’ 828 grafted on SO4 rootstock, established in 2002 in Trento, Northern Italy. The treatments were irrigated (I) and non-irrigated (NI) throughout the 2013 crop season. The criteria evaluated were the water potential of the leaves, total nutrient content in the leaves and berries, and weight of 100 berries, as well as the total soluble solids content, pH, and total titratable acidity of the must. Despite providing a less negative water potential for the grapevine leaves, irrigation did not affect the nutritional status or must composition, and it only slightly interfered with berry nutrient content.