Chile is the world’s leading producer of ‘Carménère’
(
Vitis vinifera
L.), which in turn is an important variety in
Chile, where vineyards are typically grown under irrigated
conditions and a large percentage are located in valleys
with similar water table levels to those of the study area.
Different irrigation management strategies have been used
to improve wine quality, such as water stress and deficit
irrigations, but the presence of a water table has not been
considered in extant literature. This study analyzes the
effects of the irrigation regime on grape yield and wine
quality when a shallow water table is located between 1.5
to 2.2 m depth during the irrigation season. Five applied
water treatments: 0%, 20%, 40%, 75%, and 100% of
estimated vineyard evapotranspiration (ET
c) were applied
in an own-rooted ‘Carménère’ vineyard located in the
Peumo Valley (Chile) during three consecutive seasons
(2004-2005 to 2006-2007). Applying 1400 to 9400 m
3 ha
-1
per season (100% ET
c) had no substantial effect on the
measured quality parameters, although grape production in
the treatment without irrigation (0% ET
c) was significantly
reduced. Applying water at 20% to 40% ET
c produced
high yield (13 to 16 t ha
-1), double the historical mean
production, and high quality wine with the presence of a
water table close to the bottom of the root zone.
