Quantitative Investigation of Leaf Photosynthetic Pigments during Annual Biological Cycle of Vitis vinifera L. Table Grape Cultivars
Abstract
Variations in chlorophyll a/b and chlorophyll/carotenoid ratios are indicators of senescence, stress ordamage to the photosynthetic apparatus and affect the normal course of plant biological processes. The
aim of this work was to investigate the chlorophyll (a and b) and carotenoid content and ratios in the
leaves of four Vitis vinifera L. table grape cultivars in the main phenophases of the annual biological
cycle. During the annual cycle, the moisture content of the leaves decreased significantly (up to 21%),
along with a reduction in leaf area and perimeter. Chlorophyll a and b showed a continuous accumulation
until grape véraison, with lower values of the Chl a/b ratio at the beginning of the vegetative period.
Carotenoids continued their biosynthesis until grape ripening (for another 30 days), at which stage there
was a significant decrease in the chlorophyll/carotenoid ratio (2.62 ± 0.31). At véraison, peroxidase had
the most intense activity (0.20 to 0.51 U/mg), possibly because of involvement in chlorophyll degradation,
while total phenolic content started to decrease. Grape véraison could be regarded as the starting point of
foliage senescence. Moreover, the relationship between total chlorophyll (by extraction) and chlorophyll
content index (non-destructive method) was very significant (R2 = 0.92). These results contribute to a better
understanding of foliar pigment dynamics and the timing of their decline in order to define the behaviour
of table grape cultivars during the annual biological cycle.
Downloads
A copyright form will be e-mailed to the corresponding author when the manuscript has been accepted for publication.
In principle, the Author agrees to the following when he/she signes the copyright agreement:
I hereby assign to the SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR ENOLOGY AND VITICULTURE (SASEV) the copyright of the text, tables, figures, supplementary material, illustrations and other information (the Material) submitted with the manuscript to be published in SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ENOLOGY AND VITICULTURE (SAJEV) (the "Article"). The copyright becomes effective from the date the Article has been accepted for publication in SAJEV.
This is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged, when works are cited.
Author's may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, theses, dissertations, conferences and conference papers.
A copy of the authors' publishers version may also be hosted on the following websites:
- Non-commercial personal webpage or blog.
- Institutional webpage.
- Authors Institutional Repository.
The following notice should accompany such a posting on the website: This is an electronic version of an article published in SAJEV, Volume XXX, number XXX, pages XXX - XXX, DOI. Authors should also supply a hyperlink to the original paper or indicate where the original paper (www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajev/) may be found.
Authors publishers version, affiliated with the Stellenbosch University will be automatically deposited in the University's Institutional Repository SUNScholar.
Articles as a whole, may not be re-published with another journal.
The following license applies:
Attribution CC BY-NC-ND 4.0