Tolerance to Lime - Induced Chlorosis and Drought in Grapevine Rootstocks - Abiotic Stress: Plant Responses and Applications in Agriculture - page 282

roots also during the periods of summer drought (Alsina et al., 2010). In these periods, the
majority of roots is formed in depths below 60 cm, where the groundwater is available (Bauerle
et al., 2008b).
To understand well to principles and processes of growth and development of the root system
is therefore very important for understanding to stress situations caused by abiotic factors,
especially by drought. The architecture of the root system is a genetic characteristic of root‐
stocks and soil, climatic and growing conditions modify it only very slightly. In the European
„cool climate viticulture“ rootstocks with Vitis rupestris in their pedigree are relatively rare in
spite of the fact that their roots penetrate deep into the soil horizon. Practically, the only
representative of these rootstocks is the Moravian rootstock Schwarzmann that was selected
in Bzenec (Czech Republic) to the end of the 19 th century and was very popular in former
Czechoslovakia. Unfortunately, the results of introduction of other rootstocks with Vitis
rupestris in their pedigree into the European „cool climate viticulture“ have not been very
successful yet.
3. Tolerance of grape rootstocks to lime-induced chlorosis
Lime-induced iron chlorosis, i.e. the condition of a reduced availability of soluble iron to the
grapevine plants due high concentrations of bicarbonate ions in calcareous soils, can seriously
impair the health condition of vines. The lime-induced chlorosis affects yield and quality of
grapevines growing in lots of calcareous areas world-wide (Bavaresco et al., 1994).
A high content of active and total lime in soil can induce symptoms of chlorosis in
grapevine plants and, thus, negatively influence the growth and yielding capacity of
grapevine plants as well as the quality of harvested grapes. On the other side, however,
lime present in soil participates very significantly to the manifestation of sensory proper‐
ties of wine. From the geological point of view, it is a very important component of „ter‐
roir“, which directly influences the character of produced wine. Wine-growing regions
situated on calcareous subsoils can be considered for localities that are very suitable for
production of quality wine. As typical examples it is possible to mention French Cham‐
pagne wine region or Czech limestone Pálava Hills.
Selection of suitable, lime-tolerant rootstocks represents one of possible ways how to react to
an increased content of calcium in soil and, at the same time, to preserve quality of plants and
harvested grapes. Although the genetic improvement of tolerance of rootstocks to chlorosis
represents a very long process, it still represents the best method of fight with iron chlorosis
(Nikolic et al., 2000, Pestana et al., 2003). Differences in the uptake and distribution of nutrients
within the plant may be influenced by the variety of rootstock because it may show a rather
different absorption capacity as far as individual minerals are concerned (Rizk-Alla, et al.,
2001). And just these differences in the absorption capacity may be associated also with the
occurrence of the lime-induced chlorosis.
Rootstocks 333 EM and 41B (originating from crossing Vitis berlandieri x Vitis vinifera) belonged
to the first rootstocks selected for a high degree of tolerance to calcium so that they could be