Sustainability of Vine Cultivation in Arid Areas of Southeastern Spain through Strategies Combining Controlled Deficit Irrigation and Selection of Monastrell Clones

Abstract

The use of rootstocks and clones with different vigor and sensitivity to water deficit is an important and useful agronomic tool for vineyard management. It is essential to search for systems and strategies that maximize efficiency and productivity in the use of water. The objective of this work was to carry out a comparative economic and environmental evaluation, using the life cycle cost (LCC) and life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, of the organic cultivation of seven Monastrell clones under two irrigation strategies, as well as to evaluate the productivity of water. The grape production depended significantly on the clone and the irrigation treatment, but the interaction between these factors was not significant. The differentiating effect of the °Brix on the price and gross receipts was very insignificant. Thus, the most important differences in productivity were those that determined the differences in economic productivity; clones 188 and 94 stood out for their high profitability. In relation to water, the most productive, water-use-efficient clones (94 and 188) showed very high WUE values. The combination of the selected plant material with the application of controlled deficit irrigation programs is a strategy with relevant economic and environmental effects on the sustainability of wine grape cultivation, especially in semi-arid areas with limited water resources.