X-ray imaging of 30 year old wine grape wood reveals cumulative impacts of rootstocks on scion secondary growth and Ravaz index

Abstract

Annual rings from 30 year old vines in a California rootstock trial were measured to determine the effects of 15 different rootstocks on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon scions. Viticultural traits measuring vegetative growth, yield, berry quality, and nutrient uptake were collected at the beginning (1995 to 1999) and end (2017 to 2020) of the lifetime of a vineyard initially planted in 1991 and removed in 2021. X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was used to measure ring widths in 103 vines. Ring width was modeled as a function of ring number using a negative exponential model. Early and late wood ring widths, cambium width, and scion trunk radius were correlated with 27 traits. Modeling of annual ring width shows that scions alter the width of the first rings but that rootstocks alter the decay of later rings, consistently shortening ring width throughout the lifetime of the vine. Ravaz index, juice pH, photosynthetic assimilation and transpiration rates, and instantaneous water use efficiency are correlated with scion trunk radius. Ultimately, our research indicates that rootstocks modulate secondary growth over years, altering physiology and agronomic traits. Rootstocks act in similar but distinct ways from climate to modulate ring width, which borrowing techniques from dendrochronology, can be used to monitor both genetic and environmental effects in woody perennial crop species.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge all the individuals involved in maintaining the vineyard evaluated for this study, in particular Ernie and Jeff Dosio (Pacific AgriLands Inc., Modesto, CA). We also thank Alex Freeman (Michigan State University) for early contributions to data analysis. ALD and DHC were supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and by Michigan State University AgBioResearch. ALD is supported by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture McIntire-Stennis Capacity grant. ZM, JFS, MK, PC, and DHC were supported by the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program #1546869.

Author contribution

ZM, JFS, JLH, DRH, LMJ, MK, RKS, and PC collected vineyard trait data and/or prepared wood for analysis. MYG and JM collected and prepared X-ray CT images. DHC measured ring widths. TA, ARA, JDD, BMG, IK, MRM, ELM, AWS, ALD, SS, and DHC analyzed data. ZM and DHC coordinated research, data analysis, and manuscript writing. DHC wrote a first draft of the manuscript which all authors read, commented on, and edited.

Data availability

X-ray CT cross-sections with landmarks are deposited on Dryad: http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gqnk98sqf. All data and code to reproduce results are posted on the Github repository https://github.com/DanChitwood/grapevine_rings.

Conflicts of interest

JLK, DRH, LJ, RKS, and PC were employed by E&J Gallo Winery. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationship that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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