In-Season Interactions between Vine Vigor, Water Status and Wine Quality in Terrain-Based Management-Zones in a ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ Vineyard

Wine quality is the final outcome of interactions within a vineyard between meteorological conditions, terrain and soil properties, plant physiology numerous viticultural decisions, all which are commonly summarized as terroir effect. Associations wine single or topographic factor usually weak, but little information available on effect (elevation, aspect slope) compound micro-terroir factor. We used wetness index (TWI) steady-state hydrologic integrative measure to delineate management zones (MZs) study vine vigor, water status grape quality. The was conducted in commercial 2.5-ha Vitis vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ Israel. Based TWI, divided into three MZs located along an elongate wadi that crosses bears only rainy winter season. MZ1 most distant from had low TWI values, MZ3 closest high values. Remotely sensed crop stress (CWSI) measured simultaneously with canopy cover (as determined by normalized difference vegetation index; NDVI) field measurements midday stem potential (Ψstem) leaf area (LAI) several days during growing seasons 2017 2018. Vines narrow trunk diameter LAI measurement compared other two MZs. vines also exhibited highest (highest CWSI lowest Ψstem), yield showed higher days, deficit phenological stage I, Yet, III, similar (CWSI Ψstem) MZ2, suggesting relatively vigor resulted than expected towards end season, possibly because consumption over course its classification served reliable predictor for attributes their dynamics and, thus, can be key delineation irrigation. in-season remotely monitoring required follow improve precision irrigation decisions.