Abstract
The object of this study was to investigate the influence of sunlight exclusion from grape clusters at different phenological stages on berry composition, especially anthocyanin accumulation in berry skin. Sunlight was excluded from clusters at three different stages: fruit set to about one week pre-veraison (T1), about one week pre-veraison to about one week post-veraison (T2), and about one week post-veraison to maturity (T3) for the red grape cv. Jingxiu (Vitis viniferaL.) over two seasons and three cultivation conditions (in the field in 2011, in the greenhouse and rain-shelter in 2012). Sunlight exclusion at the different stages did not consistently affect berry weight, soluble solids content or titratable acidity at maturity. However, sunlight exclusion from fruit set to one week pre-veraison consistently significantly increased anthocyanin content both at one week post-veraison and at maturity, compared to the clusters exposed to sunlight throughout fruit development (control). Clusters with sunlight excluded from one week pre-veraison to one week post-veraison accumulated less anthocyanins than control clusters at one week post-veraison, while re-exposure to sunlight resulted in recovery of anthocyanin synthesis to a similar total content to control clusters at maturity. The absence of sunlight from one week post-veraison to maturity did not significantly affect anthocyanin content compared to the control. The increase of anthocyanin content by sunlight exclusion from fruit set to one week pre-veraison might have a practical application for production of more anthocyanins in red grape berry skin.
- ©2013 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture
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