Long-term drought adaptation of unirrigated grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.)

Abstract Resilience to drought stress is an important crop selection and breeding target particularly under environment of increasing freshwater scarcities resulting from higher evapotranspiration rates reduced precipitation. Identifying new genetic material clones with superior tolerance would increase available resources germplasm for both grapevine breeders propagators, providing that has greater water use efficiency thereby reducing reliance on supplemental irrigation. Towards this goal, we explored the long-term adaptation field-grown, unirrigated (or dry-grown) own-rooted grapevines pre-clonal origin shallow (SR) deep (DR) soils representing low high soil availability, respectively, in a South Australian vineyard. Despite lower moisture SR vines, shallow-rooted vines had similar vine status, based measurements midday stem potential ( $${\Psi }_{s}$$ ?s ), leaf net photosynthesis A n ). Due stomatal conductance g s intrinsic WUE i ) than DR, however carbon isotope ratio $${\delta }^{13}C$$ xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">?13C fruit at harvest was between two groups. Our observations suggest degree multi-decadal cyclical droughts. Overall, demonstrate Cabernet Sauvignon dry-grown have enhanced resilience compared soils. This study implications changing climate.