| Summary: | Our objective was to investigate the effect of water and nitrogen (N) availability on the carbon isotope composition of leaf blades, canes and ripe berry must (juice) in field grown grapevines.
In two consecutive years, the combination of two irrigation treatments [Irrigation (I): 70 % of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and no irrigation (NI)] and three rates of ammonium nitrate [0 (N0), 60 (N60) and 120 (N120) kg/ha N] were applied to two separate vineyards planted with cv. Xinomavro and cv. Cabernet-Sauvignon respectively in a randomised complete block design. Carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of leaf blades, stem water potential (Ψs), and leaf gas exchange were measured at berry set, bunch closure, veraison and maturity during each growing season. δ13C of bulk berry must at maturity and of dormant canes was also measured.
Leaf δ13C and cane δ13C decreased with water supply, but increased with N fertilisation. Must δ13C was lower in the irrigated N0 and N60 vines, whereas irrigation treatments did not differ under the N120 rate. The relative weight of irrigation and fertilisation effect on leaf δ13C varied across samplings: N application accounted for a higher proportion of leaf δ13C variance during the early stages of berry growth, whereas irrigation induced higher variance of leaf δ13C after veraison. The weight of the irrigation effect on cane δ13C was higher from that of fertilisation.
Discrimination mechanisms against 13C in grapevine could be mediated by both N fertilisation and irrigation. The well-documented explanation of δ13C variation based on isotopic effects during CO2 diffusion through leaf stomata and carboxylation driven by water conditions may not apply to all cases, since additional discriminating processes against 13C associated with CO2 transfer from the intercellular spaces to the carboxylation sites may be affected by nitrogen supply.
The study provides evidence for the first time that carbon isotope composition of leaf blades, canes and berry must is modulated by nitrogen supply. Interpretations of carbon isotope natural abundance in field grown grapevine tissues should therefore consider both water and nitrogen availability.
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