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6 April 2020 Spatial variability in Ontario Riesling vineyards. II. Berry composition
James J. Willwerth, Andrew G. Reynolds
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Abstract

Spatial variability of berry composition was studied over a 3-yr period in 10 Riesling vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario. Vineyards were delineated using global positioning systems (GPS), and 75–80 sentinel vines were georeferenced within a sampling grid for data collection. During 2005–2007, vine water status measurements [leaf water potential (ψ)] were collected biweekly from a subset of these sentinel vines. Data were collected on soil texture and composition, soil water content (SWC; %), leaf ψ, and fruit composition. These variables were mapped using GIS software, and relationships between them were elucidated. Temporal stability in spatial patterns of soil texture and composition, SWC, leaf ψ, soluble solids (Brix), titratable acidity, and monoterpenes were examined. Spatial trends in leaf ψ and (or) SWC showed widespread evidence of temporal stability. Fruit composition variables were not as stable over a 3-yr period. Spatial trends in Brix were temporally stable in seven vineyards, free volatile terpenes were temporally stable in three vineyards, and potentially volatile terpenes were temporally stable in two vineyards. Consistent leaf ψ zones were identified, and these were temporally stable despite different climatic conditions. Furthermore, some soil variables, and particularly vine water status, may contribute significantly to the terroir effect through their effects on vine size and fruit composition. For some vineyards, many viticulture and fruit composition variables were also temporally stable. There was evidence of strong spatial relationships between leaf ψ and fruit composition, suggesting a strong relationship between berry composition and vine water status.

Copyright remains with the author(s) or their institution(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. Updated online 10 August 2020: The license for this article has been changed to the CC BY 4.0 license. The PDF and HTML versions of the article have been modified accordingly.
James J. Willwerth and Andrew G. Reynolds "Spatial variability in Ontario Riesling vineyards. II. Berry composition," Canadian Journal of Plant Science 100(5), 504-527, (6 April 2020). https://doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2019-0291
Received: 4 November 2019; Accepted: 27 March 2020; Published: 6 April 2020
KEYWORDS
fruit composition
precision viticulture
soil moisture
Terroir
vine water status
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