The yield and berry quality under different soil tillage and clusters thinning treatments in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) cv. Cabernet-Sauvignon

Abstract

The effects of 3 different soil tillage treatments and 2 cluster thinning treatments on leaf water potential (Psi(leaf)), yield and quality parameters of Cabernet-Sauvignon were investigated in this study. The research was conducted (40 degrees 58'10.71 N, 27 degrees 28'21.71 E) in Tekirdag, Turkey. There were no statistically significant differences among tillage systems. Half of the clusters on a vine were removed at the veraison for cluster thinning treatments. At the result the only significant difference was on the yield, regarding the cluster thinning treatment. Yield/vine values ranged between 2.2 - 2.3 kgvine(-1) at the cluster thinning treatments and 3.4 - 3.5 kgvine(-1) at the no cluster thinning treatments. The minimum value for soluble solids in juice was 21.04% at conventional tillage, and the maximum value (21.40%) was at the conservation tillage treatments. The conventional tillage treatment showed the maximum anthocyanin level (463.78 mgkg(-1)) followed by the conservation tillage treatment (460.14 mgkg(-1)) and minimum tillage treatment (407.86 mgkg(-1)) respectively regarding the total anthocyanin levels. The lowest phenolic compound values were obtained from CVT-NTH (361.93 mgkg(-1)) treatment. On the contrary in both conservative soil tillage [CST-NTH (488.36 mgkg(-1)), CST-CTH (467.79 mgkg(-1))] applications values were higher. As a result, grape quality parameters were improved by using the conversation tillage treatment with natural grassing in Cabernet Sauvignon.