Study of grapevine water state improvement by enhancing quality of the soil in the vineyards of Castellon region (Spain)

Abstract

[EN] This work is about the improvement of the grapevine water state under Mediterranean climate conditions regarding projections of the increasing temperatures and a threat of the soil desertification, via enhancing the soil quality and 'biological soil fertility" in particular, by appliance of the different viticultural techniques. The methods and technics used were: ramial chipped wood (RCW), combination of the RCW and beans as a cover crop, control plot, cultivated and without cover crop. Following water state of the plant by analyses of predawn leaf water potential and stem leaf water potential. The results obtained were the following: water state of the plant was better where the techniques were applied. Soil respiration and fauna showed higher results in the modalities with the applied techniques, than in the conventional cultivation modality, cover crop consumed the water in the nether soil horizon hence forcing vine to explore deeper horizons for the water uptake. In the third sample, modality covered with RCW contained soil aggregates. Modality with RCW did not create lack of nitrogen for the vine plant and demonstrated the highest soil humidity among the modalities. The conclusions of the study stated that technics as RCW and cover cropping are able to activate soil fauna, which improves soil structure and contributes into increase of the soil organic matter. Comparing to the cultivated soil, enhanced soils where techniques were applied, positively affect the water state of the vine plant and decreases its stress under the hot Mediterranean climate.