Changes in endogenous ABA level in relation to the dormancy cycle in grapevines grown in a hot climate

Summary

In warm-winter regions, the need for artificial means to compensate for the lack of natural chilling becomes a dominant factor for maintaining economic production of table grapes. However, in the absence of a reliable method of predicting the time of natural bud break, the application of the dormancy breaking agent hydrogen cyanamide (HC) entails the risk of serious bud damage if the application is mistimed. In several studies in temperate regions, concentrations of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) were found to increase as the grape buds entered dormancy, and to decrease during winter months towards dormancy release. To assess the possibility of using bud ABA content as a marker for the stage of bud dormancy in grapevines grown in hot regions, we evaluated the dormancy depth of grape buds in the course of the dormancy cycle and monitored their endogenous ABA content in cv. Perlette vines grown in the Jordan Valley. The endogenous ABA content was highest at maximum dormancy. However, the decline in ABA content was not correlated with dormancy release. The involvement of ABA in dormancy induction and maintenance is discussed.