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Full Length
Research Paper
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Growth and yield responses of cv. Merlot (Vitis vinifera
L.) to early water stress
Ilknur Korkutal1*, Elman Bahar1 and
Alain Carbonneau2
1Department
of Horticulture, Agricultural Faculty, Namik Kemal
University, 59030-Tekirdag, Turkey.
2Agro
M, Viticulture-Oenologie, UMR 2 place Viala, F-34060
Montpellier Cedex, France.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
ikorkutal@nku.edu.tr.
Accepted 2 November, 2011 |
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Abstract |
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Reproductive
growth is less sensitive to water deficit than vegetative
growth. For this
purpose, the main aim of this study is to find out the effects
of early water deficits on vegetative and generative development
of Merlot/SO4 grapevines. This research was carried
out in ECOTRON System, Montpellier - SupAgro/INRA, 03°51’22’’ E
and 43°37’04’’ N and 40 m altitude. The stressed period was
started in the 17th E-L stage on the second week of
May and stopped in 27th E-L stages on the second week
of June. Four stress groups were established which were; well
watered WS0 as a control (4 L day-1),
second was WS1 (3 L day-1) third was WS2
(2 L day-1) and the fourth was WS3 (1 L
day-1) respectively. A randomized complete block
design was used and treatments were compared using LSD test to
determine the significant differences. In water deficit
treatments yellowing of the leaves and partial leaf fall at the
shoot bases were observed at WS2 and WS3
plants. Final measurements of shoot lengths showed about 60 cm
differences between control and stressed grapevines. Shoot
elongation was suppressed linearly to increase water deficit.
When the average cluster weights and yield per vine in the
control were compared with WS3 about 50% reduction
was found.
It can be stated that the most
sensitive period was between 17th and 27th Eichhorn and Lorenz
phenological stages which negatively affect the yield of Merlot
cv.
Key words:
Merlot, early water deficit, growth, cluster weight, shoot
elongation. |
