Influence of row orientation on the canopy temperature of Sicilian vineyards

Abstract

Row orientation can have significant effects on grape quality as it directly affects the exposure of the fruits with indirect consequences on wine quality. In this study, a Flir i7 thermal camera was used to measure the temperature of both canopy sides of a ‘Sauvignon blanc’ vineyard trained to vertical shoot position and with north-south (NS) and east-west (EW) row orientations. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) measurements using a 0.8-m sensor bar were taken along with the thermal imaging camera measurements. Considering both row orientations, south and east canopy sides were those that intercepted the greatest radiant energy during the day, 57.7 and 47.5%, respectively. The EW row orientation induced lower average temperatures than the NS row orientation, but it showed some critical peaks in temperature along the day. Finally, row orientation as viticulture practice may be of critical importance in the quest for grape and wine quality and style, and thermal cameras may be adequate tools to facilitate field measurements.