Factors affecting nitrogen nutrition of the grapevine

Assuming that other limiting factors (e.g. water deficiency) are eliminated, the application of inorganic nitrogen provides the vine with an easily available form of nitrogen, and consequently increases nitrogen in plants which is usually found by stem analysis.

The effect on the growth rate, production and composition of the grape depends on the nitrogen nutrition of the plant before the application of nitrogen to the vineyard.

There are many factors that can affect the nitrogenous nutrition of the vine. These include variety and/or rootstock (Ough et al. 1968a, Christensen 1984, Huang and Ough 1989, Stines et al. 2000), location, climate and soil (Huang and Ough 1989), cultivation practices such as soil management (Bell et al. 1979, Maigre and Aerny 2001, Spring 2001), support system (Kliewer et al. 1991,  Miele et al. 2000), the shading of vegetation (Smart et al. 1988, Perez-Harvey and Witting 2001), the temperature in the vegetative wall (Ewart and Kliewer 1977), the form of nitrogen, the time and quantity of application (Kliewewr 1971, Bell et al. 1979, Chang and Kliewer 1991, Peacock et al. 1991, Spayd et al. 1994, Bell and Robson 1999,  Conradie 2001). In summary, the vine’s reaction to specific cares or a set of imposed conditions and the consequent effects on grape composition are the result of a series of interactions between genetic traits, environmental factors and cultivation practices.

The initial amount of nitrogen in the vine plants will determine how they will react to the application of nitrogen fertilization. This will trigger a series of processes that will directly or indirectly affect the final composition of the grape.