title: Canopy management in rainfed vineyards (cv. Tempranillo) for optimising water use and enhancing wine quality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rainfed viticulture, mainly in semi-arid environments, is limited by environmental variability, particularly precipitation and its seasonal distribution, and soil water availability, thus ultimately determining the final quality of grape and wine. Studies on the feasibility of practices such as canopy management to adapt plant growth and yield to soil water availability open up possibilities to preserve wine quality and reinforce the characteristics of the terroir.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Principal components analysis was used to identify the relationships between a large set of variables, including soil, plant, canopy management, and wine characteristics. Canopy management was found to have a predominant influence on plant response to soil water by modifying plant water status, changing the amino acid profile in berries and, concomitantly, altering the sensorial attributes of the wine obtained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Grapevine canopy management strategies, such as reiterate shoot trimming to restrict growth during early phases, are effective in adapting plant response to soil water availability. Such strategies affect berry and wine quality, mainly the amino acid profile and sensorial attributes of the wine, without changing yield or grape harvest quality control parameters. Also, in such conditions, nitrogen does not make a significant contribution to grapevine growth or yield or to grape quality.
authors.affiliation: Universitat de Lleida (UdL), ETSEA, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.affiliation: Universitat de Lleida (UdL), ETSEA, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: María-Paz
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), FRUITCENTRE, Parc de Gardeny, 25003 Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rufat
authors.affiliation: Universitat de Lleida (UdL), ETSEA, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Villar
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D055864:Droughts; D004777:Environment; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018515:Plant Leaves; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011891:Rain; D012987:Soil; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013649:Taste; D027843:Vitis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism; D014920:Wine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water
keywords: climate variability; must amino acids; sensorial attributes; soil water content; water stress; wine quality