Is partial root-zone drying an effective irrigation technique to improve water use efficiency and fruit quality in field-grown wine grapes under semiarid conditions?

We investigated the effects of partial root-zone drying (PRD) applied at different periods on leaf water relations, vegetative development, fruit yield, must and wine quality in wine grapes (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Monastrell) during a 3-year field experiment in order to determine the importance of the timing of PRD application on physiological and agronomical vine response under semiarid conditions. Two irrigation treatments were applied: conventional drip irrigation (CI) and PRD. Both treatments received the same annual water quantity. Each year the PRD treatment was applied at different periods of the growth cycle. In 1999 PRD was applied from veraison to harvest (end July–early September); in 2000 from fruit set to harvest (mid June–early September); and in 2001 PRD from budburst to harvest (mid April–early September). Leaf water relations and gas exchange during the experimental period were not significantly affected by PRD treatment. In 1999 and 2000 there was no significant treatment effect on vegetative development, yield or fruit quality. However, in 2001 (when PRD was applied from budburst to harvest), reproductive and vegetative development was clearly altered in PRD vines. Fruit set percentage and vegetative development (shoot length, pruning weight and primary and lateral leaf area) were significantly increased in PRD vines compared to CI. This resulted in both higher yield (kg per vine) (43%) and water use efficiency (40%) compared to CI vines. Berry number per cluster and cluster weight were also significantly increased in PRD vines. Notwithstanding higher yield in PRD vines and a similar berry size, the must and wine quality was not significantly altered, indicating a higher synthesis and accumulation of photoassimilates and metabolites in the berries of PRD vines. We conclude that there was an positive effect on vegetative and reproductive growth when long-term PRD was applied from the beginning of growing season (budburst), suggesting that early onset of PRD is desirable to intensify PRD response under these semiarid conditions. Nevertheless from these results we need to further investigate the long- and short-term effects of PRD, with moderate water amounts, on vegetative and reproductive development such as flowering and fruit set processes in wine grapes.