Nitrogen Management in Viticulture and Enology: Improving grape and wine quality and enhancing vineyard sustainability through precision management of N and strategies to increase natural yeast assimilable nitrogen in grapes and wine

Printer Friendly, PDF & Email
Author
Dr. Kevin Usher
Initiation date

Objectives a) Vineyard nitrogen management: Soil and foliar N application to determine the impact on and relationships among amino acid profiles, yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) content, fruit quality, bud hardiness and flavonoids (pigment and tannin); evaluate the effectiveness of N application to alleviate leaf roll virus symptoms of reduced yield and maturity; spectral imaging and precision management for vineyard N status using drone technology. b) Wine nitrogen management: Evaluate early and late broadcast N and late foliar N application in the field for impacts on wine quality including amino acid profiles, fermentation kinetics, sensory evaluation, wine protein content and compounds related to N metabolism (e.g. Flavonoids); determine the influence that amino acid composition and diammonium phosphate additions have on wine flavour, aroma profiles and fermentation kinetics; evaluate YAN requirements in icewine and high sugar musts with respect to recent findings on yeast nutrition such as biotin, pantothenic acid and other vitamin requirements. Evaluate wine proline content in relation to field conditions and nitrogen treatments and determine if there is a relationship with wine body.

Project status
Complete
Project category
Enology