Water use responses of Shiraz vines under partial root zone drying in a water-limiting environment

Abstract

The response of vines to deficit irrigation can be strongly influenced by variety, environmental and management factors such as climate, soil type, irrigation frequency, and amount of water applied. In the 2003/2004 season water was applied at two levels (0.9 and 0.45 ETc) either as partial root-zone drying (PRD) or as conventional drip irrigation (CI) to field-grown Shiraz vines in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. Application of PRD to vines resulted in a unique physiological response distinct from conventional irrigation, with PRD reducing water loss from the canopy under conditions of high evaporative demand. When water availability was not limited (i.e. shortly after irrigation events)..