Abstract
Consumer awareness of environmental sustainability and concern for food safety and quality is driving increased demand for organic and biodynamic (BD) produce. This is coupled with a more physically and economically challenging environment pushing producers to explore more sustainable management techniques. Biodynamic viticulture has both environmental and marketing benefits as drivers and involves the application of a series of nine preparations to soil and plants. Biodynamic preparation 501 is silica-based and has minimum yearly use requirements for certified growers. There are conflicting reports of silicon-based foliar sprays eliciting favourable plant reactions about improvements in quality, yield, and resistance against pests and diseases. Here, vine growth, yield components, berry and wine composition analyses, and sensory evaluations were conducted in two seasons to compare the effects of biodynamic and commercial silica treatments against a water control on Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines. In both seasons differences in yield and vine growth were observed. Generally, yield was greater with the application of biodynamic silica and potassium silicate. Basic berry compositional attributes pH, TA, TSS, and total anthocyanins and phenolics showed little to no differences. Sensory descriptive analysis of berries and wine indicated significant differences in attributes related to skin and seed tannins, implying that these analyses may better detect subtle yet important variations in the vineyard. The results of this study suggest a direct correlation between silicon and polyphenols, potentially influencing sensory mouthfeel characteristics through changes in skin thickness and/or structure. This study indicates that applying silica can positively impact vine performance and quality.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Biodynamic silica increased vine yield over water control across seasons.
- Taxon
- Vitis vinifera L.
Vitis viniferae1 - Treatment
- biodynamic silicae0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- water controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Generally, yield was greater with the application of biodynamic silica and potassium silicate.”
e1“against a water control on Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines”
Claim · model-written summary
Potassium silicate increased vine yield over water control.
- Taxon
- Vitis vinifera L.Vitis viniferae1
- Treatment
- potassium silicatee0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- water controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Generally, yield was greater with the application of biodynamic silica and potassium silicate.”
e1“against a water control on Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines”
Claim · model-written summary
Vine growth differed among treatments in both seasons.
- Taxon
- Vitis vinifera L.Vitis viniferae3
- Treatment
- biodynamic and commercial silica treatmentse3
- Outcome
- vine growthe2
- Qualifier
- both seasonse2
- Comparator
- water controle3
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“In both seasons differences in yield and vine growth were observed.”
e3“compare the effects of biodynamic and commercial silica treatments against a water control on Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines”
Claim · model-written summary
Berry pH, TA, and TSS showed little to no treatment differences.
- Taxon
- Vitis vinifera L.Vitis viniferae3
- Treatment
- biodynamic and commercial silica treatmentse3
- Outcome
- pH, TA, TSSe4
- Direction
- little to no differencese4
- Comparator
- water controle3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Basic berry compositional attributes pH, TA, TSS, and total anthocyanins and phenolics showed little to no differences.”
e3“compare the effects of biodynamic and commercial silica treatments against a water control on Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines”
Claim · model-written summary
Berry anthocyanins and phenolics showed little to no treatment differences.
- Taxon
- Vitis vinifera L.Vitis viniferae3
- Treatment
- biodynamic and commercial silica treatmentse3
- Outcome
- total anthocyanins and phenolicse4
- Direction
- little to no differencese4
- Comparator
- water controle3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Basic berry compositional attributes pH, TA, TSS, and total anthocyanins and phenolics showed little to no differences.”
e3“compare the effects of biodynamic and commercial silica treatments against a water control on Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines”
Claim · model-written summary
Berry and wine sensory attributes related to skin and seed tannins differed significantly.
- Taxon
- Vitis vinifera L.Vitis viniferae3
- Treatment
- biodynamic and commercial silica treatmentse3
- Outcome
- attributes related to skin and seed tanninse5
- Comparator
- water controle3
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Sensory descriptive analysis of berries and wine indicated significant differences in attributes related to skin and seed tannins”
e3“compare the effects of biodynamic and commercial silica treatments against a water control on Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors suggest a direct silicon-polyphenol correlation affecting mouthfeel through berry skin.
- Taxon
- Vitis vinifera L.Vitis viniferae3
- Compound
- silicone6
- Outcome
- sensory mouthfeel characteristicse6
- Qualifier
- through changes in skin thickness and/or structuree6
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“The results of this study suggest a direct correlation between silicon and polyphenols, potentially influencing sensory mouthfeel characteristics through changes in skin thickness and/or structure.”
e3“Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines”
The same questions in other papers
potassium · yield · Vitis vinifera (wine grape)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.