Resumen:
Grape berry transpiration is considered an important process during maturation, but scientific evidence is scarce. In the literature, there is only one report showing reduced maturation when bunch transpiration is artificially slowed down. Traditionally, grape berry transpiration has been measured by weighing grape berries on scale for a given time, correctly assuming that the weight reduction is due to water lost. Commercially available instruments adequate to measure gas exchange in small fruits are not suitable for whole grape berry bunch.
Here, we present an open differential chamber system that can be used with isolated grape berries or alternatively with a whole grape berry bunch for measuring grape berry/bunch transpiration based on the use of relative humidity sensors from Vaisala.
When used with isolated grape berries, open differential chamber system validation was made by using Tempranillo grape berries collected at different phenological stages. For the whole bunch transpiration prototype, two different validations were made. Firstly, measurements were made inserting inside the chamber an increasing number of Eppendorf tubes filled with water. Secondly, transpiration was measured in whole Tempranillo bunches sampled at different phenological stages. An important output of this work is that the fact of detaching the bunch from the plant did not change the bunch gas exchange rates at least for several hours.
For validations, transpiration values obtained with our prototype were compared with water losses inferred from grape berry weighing on scale for a given time, obtaining highly significant correlations. We tested the system applying to the bunch an anti-transpirant, confirming that the anti-transpirant application reduced bunch transpiration and delayed maturity.
