Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture. Vol. LXVII, No.

2, 2023
Print ISSN 2285-5653, CD-ROM ISSN 2285-5661, Online ISSN 2286-1580, ISSN-L 2285-5653
THE INFLUENCE OF VITICULTURAL PRACTICES
ON THE BERRY COMPOSITION OF MERLOT VARIETY GROWN
IN THE WEST OF ROMANIA CLIMATE
Eleonora NISTOR1, Alina DOBREI1, Giovanni MATTI2, Alin DOBREI1
1
University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Department of Horticulture,
Calea Aradului 119, 300645, Timisoara, Romania
2
Universita degli Studi Firenze, Dipartimento Di Scienze Produzioni Agroalimentari E
Dell'ambiente, Viale Delle Idee, 30, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

Correspondent author emails: [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract

Recent climatic conditions have favoured the expansion of red varieties in previously unsuitable areas for high-quality
winemaking. The high degree of temperature variability during the growing season makes it challenging for berries to
fully ripen in time for harvest. The objective of this research was to improve the berry quality and sensory characteristics
of the Merlot variety in the Recaș vineyards area by implementing various viticultural practices. The timing and intensity
of leaf removal and cluster thinning were examined in experiments carried out in 2020 and 2021. The cluster thinning
had a minimal effect on basic berry chemistry at harvest in 2020 but increased pruning weight and cluster weight. Vine
vigour and essential berry chemistry were not strongly influenced by clusters thinning in 2021. The level of titratable
acidity was lower after leaf removal, but other essential quality indicators remained unchanged. Viticultural practises
not only increased the berry quality but also the anthocyanin content of berries.

Key words: berry quality, cluster thinning, leaf removal, sugars, titratable acidity.

INTRODUCTION of anthocyanins, and potassium begins and

towards the end, the colouring and softening of
Grape cultivation is one of the most important the berries; the third stage is the ripening stage,
agricultural activities on the planet. According during which sugars accumulate primarily in the
to FAO statistics (2021), the global area pulp and anthocyanins in the skins, especially in
cultivated with grapevines in 2021 was 6.73 red varieties (CooMbe & McCarthy, 2000; Nan
million hectares, with 73.5 tonnes of grapes for et al., 2019). A balance between vegetative and
wine and table, resulting in 755 352 081 hl of productive growth is required for optimal
wine. The world's largest grape production is compound accumulation in berries (Tomasi et
concentrated in four countries: Italy, Spain, al., 2020). The crop load (the ratio of grape yield
France, and China (FAOStat, 2021). Grapevine and the weight of the pruning wood) is accepted
cultivation is restricted by climate regions, with as an indicator of grapevine balance, with
annual isotherms ranging from 10°C to 20°C, optimal values ranging from 5 to 10 (Silvestroni
with the possibility of expansion in favourable et al., 2019). Another useful tool for assessing
microclimates (Kosik et al., 2017). Different vine balance is the ratio of yield to leaf area
viticultural practises can compensate for less- (expressed in cm2/kg or m2/kg), with leaf
than-ideal conditions for Merlot grapes, which photosynthesis activating the production of
do not reach full maturity every year (Anić et al., carbohydrates that are transported to the berries
2021). To achieve the best quality of the grapes (Del Zozzo et al., 2022). The management
and the wine, winemakers must understand how system, in addition to the vigour of the variety,
to fully ripen this variety in order to prevent influences photosynthesis efficiency and,
unpleasant, grassy aromas (Trujillo et al., 2022). indirectly, crop load (Nistor et al., 2021). A crop
The process of berry growth and development load that is too high (over 15 clusters) restrains
occurs through cell division in the first stage; the the proper berry quality achieved at harvest, and
second stage is the veraison stage, during which a crop load that is too low (less than five
the accumulation of sugars in the pulp and skins, bunches) is not economically efficient (Candar
261
et al., 2020). Sucrose is transported to the berries Field experiment
after photosynthesis in the leaves, where sugars The vines in the experiment were divided into
measured as total soluble solids (TSS) eight blocks of five vines each, for a total of 40
accumulate between 18.5 and 27oBrix, vines. Blocks were randomly assigned to the
depending on variety, viticultural practises, and fruit set, pre-veraison, veraison, and before
environmental conditions (Lu et al., 2022). ripening stages. The fruiting load was set at 15,
According to some studies, thinning leaves or 30, and 45 bunches per vine; the first four basal
bunches reduced production and increased sugar leaves on the shoot were removed to expose the
content compared to vineyards with high grape clusters, as Merlot is a medium-vigorous
production (Sivilotti et al., 2020), but other variety; apical clusters that remained less
studies show that these practises had little to no developed were removed. Leaf and bunch
effect on the amount of sugar that accumulated thinning were done simultaneously.
in berries up until harvest (Williams et al.,
2023). After fermentation, grape seed Measurement of shoot growth
compounds such as sugars, organic acids, At flowering, the total number of shoots was
polyphenols, and aromas significantly influence counted, of which six were marked for length
the wine's final quality (Mesić et al., 2020). monitoring (cm/day) every seven days,
The study therefore concentrated on achieving beginning from the second week of June until
the best Merlot grape quality (sugar, veraison in the last week of July, using a mea-
anthocyanins, pH, TA) by adjusting the crop suring tape. The shoot growth measurements
load, leaf removal and cluster thinning at various were useful for estimating daily growth, corre-
growth stages during the 2020 and 2021 lated with phenological stages and the effects of
growing seasons. crop load and leaf removal on their length.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Cluster and berry sampling

From fruit set to ripening, 50 berries were
Plant materials collected from each selected vine at 14-day
The Merlot (grafted on Kober 5 BB rootstocks) intervals. The samples were placed in labelled
plots were planted in the Recaș vineyards in plastic bags and transported to the laboratory in
2009 and were used for research in 2020 and a freezing bag, where they were kept at -20oC
2021 growing seasons. The Recaș vineyards are for future analysis. The total weight of bunches
located 24 kilometres from Timișoara, at on a vine, the average weight of a cluster, and
latitude 45°48'4.18"N and longitude the average weight of berries in a cluster were
21°30'42.89"E. The Recaș vineyards cover an all recorded.
area of more than 1000 hectares spread out over Clusters on marked shoots were collected
hills with calcareous or clay soils. separately, and berries were measured for
The experimental plots had 10 rows and 5 vines sugars, titratable acidity, and pH. Before
per row with a simple Guyot training, a planting analysis, the berries were defrosted and crushed,
distance of 2.2 m between rows and 1 m between and the naturally drained juice was decanted into
vines per row, and an average density of 4,545 50 ml cylinders. The sugar content of the must
vines/hectare. During dry pruning, 45 buds per was determined using a Brix HI96813 digital
vine were retained. The vigorous shoots were refractometer (Hanna Instruments, Inc). Total
hedged during the growing season when their acidity (TA H2SO4) and pH were measured with
tips reached a height of 30 cm above the highest HI 84532 titrator (Hanna Instruments, Inc).
trellis. During the growing season, pest and
disease control measures were implemented Statistical Analysis
based on past performance, alerts, and weather Analyses of variance (ANOVA) for yield and
conditions. The Timișoara meteorological berry components were performed using
station and satellite data for the Recaș location GraphPadPrism Software, Version 8.4.2 (San
(https://freemeteo.ro/vremea/ recas/) were used Diego, California, USA, 2020) and XLStat (by
to determine the monthly precipitation and daily Addinsoft, 2018, Statistical and Data Analysis
temperature during the growing season. Solution Version 2018.7.5). Comparisons were

262
made by the LSD test with significance levels of second decade of September, but very dry in
0.05. 2021.
The maximum air temperature reached more
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS than 35°C during the summer of 2021, but no
severe sunburn damage to grape berries was
Climate conditions observed.
Following a less rainy spring in 2020 (Figure 1), Shoot length growth was unaffected by leaf and
there was abundant precipitation (over 100 mm) bunch thinning. Regardless of the fruiting load,
during the shoot growing stage (June, July) until the lateral bunches were the most exposed to the
veraison, with the phenological stages sun after the leaves were removed.
developing at a constant rate. There was much
less rain and much higher temperatures during Vegetative growth in 2020-2021
the same time period in 2021. August was the Leaves or clusters thinning had no effect on the
warmest and driest month, following veraison in length of the shoots, but the earlier these
both growing seasons. It was relatively wet in treatments were done, the greater the impact on
2020 during grape ripening, which began in the the growth rate of the shoots (Figures 2 and 3).

250 45

40

200 35

30
Precipitation (mm)

Temperature (oC)
150 25

20

100 15

10

50 5

0 -5
J F M A M J JL A S O N D

Pp'20 Pp'21 Tmin/'20 Tmin/'21 Tmax/'20 Tmax/'21 T '20 T'21

Figure 1. Temperature and precipitation during 2020-2021

(Pp - precipitation; Tmin - minimum temperature; Tmax - maximum temperature; T - average temperature)

263
 6
15C
30C
5
45C
Shoot length (cm/day)

3
15C: y = 0.0976x + 3.0357
R² = 0.0448
2
30C: y = 0.181x + 2.5857
R² = 0.1626
1
45C: y = 0.0952x + 2.7964
R² = 0.044
0
08/VI 15/VI 22/VI 29/VI 06/VII 13/VII 20/VII 27/VII
2020

Figure 2. Shoot growth (cm/day) from the beginning of June to the end of July in 2020 (15°C, 30°C and 45°C are
abbreviations for crop load on vine; data were collected from vines selected for leaf removal and cluster thinning)

5 15C
30C
4.5
45C
4

3.5
Shoot lenght (cm/day)

2.5

2
15C: y = 0.1238x + 2.6429
1.5 R² = 0.0766
30C: y = 0.2155x + 2.0679
R² = 0.3048
1

0.5 45C: y = 0.081x + 2.5857

R² = 0.0391
0
07/VI 14/VI 21/VI 28/VI 05/VII 12/VII 19/VII 26/VII
2021

Figure 3. Shoot growth (cm/day) from the beginning of June to the end of July in 2021 (15°C, 30°C and 45°C are
abbreviations for crop load on vine; data were collected from vines selected for leaf removal and cluster thinning)

With the exception of the crop load of 30 Grape production components

clusters in 2021, which positively influenced Cluster thinning during berries setting, with a
shoot length growth, cluster exposure had no crop load of 15 clusters, significantly decreased
effect on shoot growth rate. grape production per vine (Tables 1 and 2).

264
 Table 1. The influence of basal leaf removal and cluster thinning on crop yield (2020)
Crop load Yield (kg/vine)
Berry set Pre-veraison Veraison Before ripening
15 clusters 1.19b 1.29b 1.59b 1.59b
30 clusters 3.40a 2.65a 3.30a 3.21a
45 clusters 2.43a 3.20a 4.65a 4.98a
a, b
Means within columns that are not followed by the same letter differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05

However, there was no significant difference in only the 45 cluster crop load per vine showed
the yield after leaf thinning at 30 and 45 clusters significant yield differences when cluster thinning
of crop load. During the 2021 growing season, was done before, during or after veraison.

Table 2. The influence of basal leaf removal and cluster thinning on crop yield (2021)
Crop load Yield (kg/vine)
Berry set Pre-veraison Veraison Before ripening
15 clusters 1.27b 1.56b 1.65c 1.53b
30 clusters 3.52a 2.71ab 3.42b 3.15b
45 clusters 2.94a 3.38a 4.80a 4.45a
a, b, c
Means within columns that are not followed by the same letter differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05

Leaf and severe cluster thinning (crop load of 15 thinning were performed at veraison, grape
clusters) at berries setting significantly production differed for all three crop loads, with
decreased grape yield in the 2021 growing the higher number of clusters per vine yielding
season (Table 2) compared to a crop load of 45 the most. Regarding cluster weight, the
clusters per vine. In the berry setting stage, grape interaction between the three factors - leaf
yield did not differ significantly between 30 and removal, cluster thinning, and cluster weight
45 clusters of crop load. When leaf and bunch respectively was significant.

Table 3. The influence of basal leaf removal and cluster thinning on cluster weight (2020)
Crop load Cluster weight (g)
Berry set Pre-veraison Veraison Before ripening
15 clusters 89a 101a 122a 105a
30 clusters 76c 81b 93b 80b
45 clusters 59c 68c 76c 86b
a, b, c
Means within columns that are not followed by the same letter differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05

The lower number of clusters per vine obviously significant differences were found as a result of
resulted in larger and heavier clusters when crop load influence.
compared to the other two crop loads of 30 and Heavier clusters were also observed in the 2021
45 clusters per vine. However, cluster weight growing season at 15 and 45 clusters per vine
increased only for 15 crop loads when cluster (Table 4). The smallest weight differences
thinning was done before and after veraison between bunches, regardless of crop load, were
(Table 3). Regardless of crop load, the when leaf removal and bunch thinning were
difference in cluster weight at berry set was done at veraison; the differences were
insignificant. In fact, when analyzing bunch insignificant at other growing stages.
weight for the four phenological phases, no

Table 4. The influence of basal leaf removal and cluster thinning on cluster weight (2021)
Crop load Cluster weight (g)
Berry set Pre-veraison Veraison Before ripening
15 clusters 96a 106a 115a, b 108a
30 clusters 68b 74b 124a 96ab
45 clusters 86a 84b 106ab 78b
a, b
Means within columns that are not followed by the same letter differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05

265
In the 2020 growing season, no significant accumulation was more obvious when the
differences in sugar accumulation (oBrix) were treatments were done at veraison, and the berries
found for the levels of the cluster thinning were exposed to sunlight before ripening began.
(Table 5). The effect of leaf removal on sugar

Table 5. The influence of leaf removal and cluster thinning on TSS (oBrix) (2020)
Treatment TSS (°Brix)
Berry set Pre-veraison Veraison Before ripening
Leaf removal 15.3a 18.4a 20.8a 21.9b
Cluster thinning 16.9a 19.1a 21.5a 22.6a
a, b
Means within columns that are not followed by the same letter differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05

Table 6. The influence of leaf removal and cluster thinning on TSS (oBrix) (2021)
Treatment TSS (°Brix)
Berry set Pre-veraison Veraison Before ripening
Leaf removal 16.5b 19.6a 21.4a 22.9b
Cluster thinning 17.1a 20.4a 22.3a 23.6a
a,b
Means within columns that are not followed by the same letter differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05

When grape berries were exposed to sunlight However, when the treatments were applied at
through leaf removal and cluster thinning during different phenological stages, there were
the same phenological phase in the 2021 significant differences in sugar accumulation,
growing season, the differences in sugar taking into account that sugar accumulation
accumulation were insignificant (Table 6). increases as the berries reach maturity.

Table 7. Berry components depending of growing season timing of leaf removal and cluster thinning
Berry components Berry set Pre-veraison Veraison Before ripening
Treatment during 2020 growing season
pH 3.4a 3.6a 3.8a 3.8a
TA (g/L H2S04) 5.5a 4.9a 4.7a 4.3a
Anthocyanins (mg/g) 0.71a 0.69a 0.63a 0.72a
Treatment during 2021 growing season
pH 3.2a 3.5a 3.3a 3.5a
TA (g/L H2S04) 5.7a 5.0a 4.9a 4.5a
Anthocyanins (mg/g) 0.73a 0.68a 0.65a 0.76a
a, b
Means within columns that are not followed by the same letter differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05

In both growing seasons, except for sugars, no early in the growing season, at berry set, pre-
significant relationships were found between veraison, or veraison but not before ripening,
treatment timing and the other components of bunch weight increased at a low crop load (15
berry juice (TA, pH, and anthocyanins) as a clusters). The weight of the berries in the cluster
result of grape berry exposure to sunlight after increased as a result of leaf removal and cluster
leaf removal and cluster thinning (Table 7). thinning, which improved grape yield. Early leaf
It was difficult to find a correlation between removal (at berry set) affected berries by
treatments (leaf removal, cluster thinning, and sunlight and, consequently, sugar accumulation;
treatment timing). Furthermore, there was a lot however, during both growing seasons, key
of rain, and it was very hot in June and July berry juice constituents (pH, TA, and
2020, which stimulated the growth of the shoots anthocyanins) were not significantly influenced
and made measurements harder to manage. by the timing of treatments and crop load.
Grape yield increased, however, when the crop Leaf removal when the temperature was very
load per vine was 15 or 30 clusters. When the high at the end of July and especially in August
treatments were applied at berry set, the was beneficial for reducing the malic acid
production increased for the higher crop load of content of berry juice (Ghiglieno et al., 2020);
45 clusters. When the treatments were applied sunlight and temperature were also important for
266
anthocyanin accumulation (Tarricone et al., CONCLUSIONS
2020). The lowering of crop load, or vine
vigour, had no noticeable impact on berry The research in 2020 and 2021 were quite
ripening or on the main components of the similar, with an emphasis on the effect of crop
berries, such as sugars which could explain the load, leaf removal, and grape berry exposure to
absence of significant differences between the sunlight on Merlot grapes. Similar outcomes
chemical components of berry juice. The berry were observed in both seasons for grape yield
content in various qualitative components and berry quality components, with minor
influenced not only the amount of sugar but also differences influenced by precipitation during
the grape yield. The anthocyanin content was the pre-veraison and veraison time frames.
influenced by the interaction of treatments (leaf Small grape yield differences were also
removal and cluster thinning) as well as the observed between the treatments, especially
increase in temperature at the cluster level as a between the grape yield after leaf removal and
result of leaf removal (Alba et al., 2022). after the cluster thinning.
Previous research found that when the crop load In comparison to 2020, however, the grapevine
is balanced with the canopy, the accumulation of has been less affected by leaf removal and
sugars or other qualitative components from cluster thinning treatments in 2021. The impact
berries is unaffected in hot climates (Anić et al., of these treatments on shoots growth has been
2021; King et al., 2012; Pieri, 2010). negligible. The research results from both
Sugar accumulation was relatively stable despite growing seasons show that cluster thinning had
differences in humidity between the two growing little effect on grape yield and berry components
seasons, indicating that viticultural practises had in the 2021 growing season. When the number
a relatively low influence on this qualitative of clusters was reduced in the berry set or pre-
component compared to anthocyanin content veraison stages, the vines had higher vigour and
(O'Brien et al., 2021; de Rosas et al., 2022). larger clusters as a result of the climatic
However, contradictory findings were found conditions of the 2020 growing season. Finally,
regarding sugar accumulation, which was grapevine balance is determined by the canopy
influenced by viticultural practises and environ- vigour of the grape variety and the timing of leaf
mental conditions (Navrátilová et al., 2020; Aru removal, both of which can influence grape
et al., 2022); TSS content was found to be higher berry quality improvement.
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