Analysis of grapevine vegeto-productive responses to plant density and rootstock

The effect of plant density and rootstock has been studied on Sangiovese cultivar in the area of Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, italy). Three density levels have been compared. A randomised block design was applied with 5 replications. During the study several measurements have been performed: agrometeorological variables, grapevine growth with destructive and non destructive methods, quality and quantity of production, gas echanges, chlorophyll content and leaf water potential. The results have pointed out that the lowest density plants showed a higher canopy density and a higher production per plant, but with a reduction of growth associated with the lower level of anthocyanins. The best results were obtained with the intermediate density characterised by the highest utilisation of available resources and the increase of yield quality.