Abstract
The Tocai Friulano cultivar grafted onto SO4 rootstock was studied for a period of three years in 4 different soil types (SU1–SU4) in the Colli Orientali del Friuli AOC area, Italy. Grapevine root system, soil chemical and physical properties, soil water regimes, vine performances, and grape and wine quality were studied, with the aim of better understanding how roots mediate the grapevine’s response to different soil features. Climate was homogeneous within the studied area, and its effect was evaluated through the year effect. Results from this study showed that under homogenous climatic conditions, the soil played a major role in water availability to the vine and produced effects on vine yield components, vegetative growth, vine balance, grape composition, and wine sensory profile. Root study, observed within different soil units, contributed to understanding variability in vine performance and wine characteristics. Good stable wine quality was obtained over the study years only in soils that allowed deep root system development (SU1 and SU4); even in dry seasons these soils produced satisfactory wine quality. In dry years, shallow soils, when the root systems were thin and superficial (SU2), an unbalanced ratio between vegetative and reproductive growth was observed, leading to poor-quality grapes and wines; conversely when the root systems were more dense and distributed throughout the soil profile (SU3), the wines showed more interesting characteristics. These results underline the importance of root analysis for comprehensive evaluation of the vine’s responses to different soil-climate environments.
- ©2015 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture
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