Relationship between chlorosis occurrence and mineral composition of grapevine leaves and berries

Vitis vinifera L. cvs. Pinot blanc and Sauvignon blanc, grafted on the hybrid rootstock V. Berlandieri Planch. x V. riparia Michx. 'S.O.4' (intermediate tolerance to lime-induced chlorosis), were grown in pots with a calcareous soil. At fruit set and at the beginning of ripening stage ('veraison') of the third growing year, leafblades, petioles, and fruit (berries) were analyzed for macronutrient and trace element composition, and plants were scored for chlorosis symptoms. No significant variations in the mineral composition of leaf blades and petioles were found between chlorotic and non-chlorotic plants. Chlorotic plants (at 'veraison') had higher nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) berry concentrations and total contents (per cluster) than non-chlorotic vines. Total iron (Fe) concentration in the tissues tested was not directly related to lime-induced chlorosis of the two cultivars tested.