Methyl Jasmonate Foliar Application to Tempranillo Vineyard Improved Grape and Wine Phenolic Content

Abstract

The importance of phenolic compounds for grape and wine quality has drawn attention to studying different practices with the aim of increasing their content. Cluster application of elicitors is a viticultural practice that has shown promising results in recent years. However, cluster application requires a previous defoliation, which is time-consuming and expensive. In the present study, methyl jasmonate was foliar applied to Tempranillo grapevines in order to study its effect on grape and wine phenolic composition. Methyl jasmonate foliar application increased anthocyanin and stilbene content in both grape and wine, besides enhancing wine flavonol content. This treatment induced the synthesis of 3-O-glucosides of petunidin and peonidin and trans-p-coumaroyl derivatives of cyanidin and peonidin. For stilbenes, trans-piceid content was considerably increased in both grape and wine. The results obtained suggest that methyl jasmonate foliar application could be a simple and accessible practice to enhance grape and wine quality.

A review of the use of biostimulants in the vineyard for improved grape and wine quality: effects on prevention of grapevine diseases

“…This treatment also induced the synthesis in the berries of 3‐ O ‐glucosides of petunidin and peonidin and trans ‐ p ‐coumaroyl derivatives of cyanidin and peonidin. The concentrations of trans ‐piceid, which is the most important stilbene in grapes, were improved in all of the samples through this methyl jasmonate foliar application . However, it has been shown that the responses for phenolic compounds to methyl jasmonate and benzothiadiazole applications to Monastrell, Merlot and Syrah grapevines depended on the variety .…”

Effect of elicitors on the evolution of grape phenolic compounds during the ripening period

“…At the end of the ripening period, the BTH and MeJ‐treated grapes showed higher total anthocyanin concentrations than control grapes, the highest anthocyanin concentration being found in the MeJ‐treated grapes. Portu et al also found an increase in anthocyanin and stilbene contents in Tempranillo grapes and wines when the grapes were treated pre‐harvest with MeJ.…”

“…The MeJ‐treatment only increased the concentration of flavonols during the first few days of the ripening period, whereas during the last 3 weeks before harvest, the flavonol concentration of MeJ‐treated grapes did not differ from that of control grapes. Portu et al did not observe any effect of the application of three different elicitors on the flavonol concentration of grapes at the moment of harvest. Contrary to these results, in a 2‐year experiment in which MeJ and BTH were applied pre‐harvest to Monastrell grapes, Ruiz‐García et al showed that both treatments increased the flavonol content of grapes at harvest.…”

“…For example, the pre‐harvest application of BTH to Monastrell grapes led to increased levels of phenolic compounds in the treated grapes and the corresponding wines . In as study of the effect of methyl jasmonate, chitosan and a yeast extract on the phenolic composition in Tempranillo grapes and wines Portu et al observed increases in the anthocyanin and stilbenes compositions. Flores et al found that a mixture of (+)‐ and (−)‐MeJ applied postharvest to Red globe grapes stimulates anthocyanin accumulation, while Fernández‐Marín et al treated Syrah grapes with MeJ postharvest (in this case together with UV treatment) and observed that the subsequent wines contained a significantly higher stilbene concentration than the corresponding control wines.…”

Quality of ‘Isabel’ grape treated pre-harvest with CaCl2 and citrus biomass-based elicitor

“…In this context, several techniques have been applied in postharvest grape storage, such as the use of refrigeration and modified atmosphere associated with the application of calcium chloride (DANNER et al, 2009;SILVA et al, 2012), also applied pre-harvest (RUIZ-GARCÍA et al, 2012;PORTU et al, 2015) as well as the association of pre-and postharvest treatments in other fruits, such as apples (SHARMA et al, 2013) and plums (MANGANARIS et al, 2008), aiming to promote an increase in fruit postharvest life, thus resulting in increased prospects of greater profitability.…”