<b>Ecophysiology and yield performance of grape <em>Cabernet sauvignon</em> cultivated under different exposures</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron.v26i3.1816

Abstract

Grapes are widely grown in various regions of the world; in Brazil, viticulture is considered to be an important form of agriculture. There are two distinct market branches: wine and other distilled alcoholic products and natural juice, plus the domestic consumption. The production of wine, grape-juice and by-products from the wine industry occurs in twelve Brazilian regions, with a larger concentration in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo. Grape-crop management depends upon such agro-meteorological variables as temperature, solar radiation, atmospheric humidity and water availability, since these can greatly influence both crop yield and quality. For regions where most of the rain coincides with the development and maturation of the fruit, the search for alternative management is justified, the aim being to mitigate that impact over the quality of the fruit, particularly with respect to wine production. An experiment with grape-wine was carried out in Jundiaí (SP), at Centro de Fruticultura do Instituto Agronômico (Fruit-growing Center of the Farming Institute), IAC (23º06’ S; 46º55’ W, 715m). The search was focused on the microclimate modification in the environment of cultivated grapes, from its conduction in a partially modified crop-cultivation environment, as well as to evaluate the impact of this practice on the growth and development of the crop. A comparison was made by observing the growth of the same culture in a natural environment. The results showed that the use of a plastic cover to cultivate grapes created a micro-environment that was characterized by a decrease in the levels of solar radiation, an increase of the maximum temperatures and the persistence of higher saturation deficit levels