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IMIDA director, Adrian Martinez, notes that deficit irrigation has been applied with excellent results in countries like the U.S. and Australia

The Ministry of Agriculture and Water, through Murciano Research Institute and Agricultural Development and Food (IMID) developed a project called 'Application of deficit irrigation strategies in the variety Monastrell on different rootstocks', in order to save water and increase the quality of grapes and wine.

IMIDA director, Adrian Martinez, noted that the deficit irrigation (DRC) is "to reduce water inputs that may affect phenological periods less to production or fruit quality and maintain such contributions in other sensitive periods water deficit ".

One of the goals of deficit irrigation is to control excessive vegetative vigor and development.

This leads to reduced competition between leaves and fruits, and that the plant may have more resources available for use in the growth and fruit quality.

Another objective is to control the size of the berry, and a smaller size of this ratio increases skin / pulp (higher surface to volume of fruit), which produces an effect of concentration of phenolic compound is important for production of grapes and wines.

According to Adrian Martinez, "when applied moderate deficit irrigation after veraison, when the grapes change color, water stress can also stimulate the expression of certain genes involved in the production of natural compounds that accumulate during the maturation process mainly in the skin of grapes. "

This, he added, "increases the color and its polyphenol content, and finally the wines show more expression, more color, more stability and better taste."

According to regional official, "this technique is applied for years with excellent results in countries like the U.S. and Australia. Nevertheless, in the region where only 25 percent of the total vineyard is irrigated, has not been introduced yet."

The IMIDA Viticulture department began in 2005 in an experimental plot in Jumilla, a series of deficit irrigation trials in the Monastrell variety, using a very common pattern and vigorous: the 1103 Paulsen.

Experience showed that deficit irrigation to apply enough between 1000 and 1500 cubic meters of water per hectare per year, which in turn are achieved significant improvements in quality and polyphenolic grape Monastrell wine.

The results of these trials have been published in scientific journals.

Currently developing a new project, which will last until 2015, funded by the National Agricultural Research Institute (INIA), in an experimental plot in Bullas.

In it used five different rootstocks vigor and tolerance to water stress currently widely used in the vineyard.

According to Pascual Romero, researcher at the Department of Viticulture IMIDA, to discover whether the choice of a pattern or other positive impact on improving the quality of grapes and wine by using various techniques such as Regulated Deficit Irrigation (DRC) and partial drying of the roots (PRD).

Partial root drying

Another technique used in this new project is the partial root drying, known by its initials in English, PRD.

Irrigation is to apply a portion of the root system and let it dry for another, after a while (usually about two weeks), do the reverse operation: watering the dry and then allow the party had spread previously.

This alternation of irrigation operation on both sides of the root system is usually applied in the vineyard throughout the growing season (April to October).

Pascual Romero noted that students of this technique found that the roots are drying produce certain hormones, such as abscisic acid, which causes the plant to transpire less and consume less water, while also can stimulate root development .

This technique is being investigated in many cultures around the world for several years with promising results.

IMIDA conducted tests to compare deficit irrigation with this other conventional technique and have found improvements in growth and quality of the fruit by applying the latter.

Source: CARM