Postveraison Application of Antitranspirant Di-1-p-Menthene to Control Sugar Accumulation in Sangiovese Grapevines

Abstract

The effectiveness of a postveraison application of the film-forming antitranspirant Vapor Gard (VG, a.i. di-1-p-menthene) was investigated as a technique to delay grape ripening and reduce sugar accumulation in the berry. The study was carried out over the 2010–2011 seasons in a nonirrigated vineyard of cv. Sangiovese in central Italy. Vapor Gard was applied at 2% concentration to the upper two-thirds of the canopy (most functional leaves) and it significantly lowered leaf assimilation and transpiration rates and increased intrinsic water use efficiency. The F_v/F_m ratio was not modified, emphasizing that photoinhibition did not occur at the photosystem II complex, whereas the reduction of pool size of plastoquinone matched well with reduced CO₂ fixation found in VG-treated vines. In both years VG treatment reduced the pace of sugar accumulation in the berry as compared to control vines, scoring a -1.2 Brix at harvest and wine alcohol content at −1% without compromising the recovery of concentrations of carbohydrates and total nitrogen in canes and roots. Concurrently, organic acids, pH, and phenolic richness of grapes and wines were unaffected, whereas there was a decrease in anthocyanin content in the berry (−19% compared to control vines) and in the wine (−15% compared to control vines). The application of VG at postveraison above the cluster zone is an effective, simple, and viable technique to hinder berry sugaring and obtain less alcoholic wines. To be effective the spraying should be performed at ~14 to 15 Brix, making sure that the lower leaf epidermis is fully wetted by the chemical.