Effects on grape amino acid concentration through foliar application of three different elicitors

Elicitors play an important role in the defense against pathogens as an alternative to chemical pesticides by increasing secondary metabolites. Their effect on grape amino acid has been little investigated. Thus, the aim of this research was to study the influence of methyl jasmonate (MeJ), chitosan (CHT), and a yeast extract (YE) on grape amino acid composition, through foliar applications to grapevines. The must amino acid concentration was analyzed by HPLC. The results showed that CHT and YE treatments decreased the must concentration of several amino acids, affecting total amino acid content (from 2364 to 1961, and 1818 mg/L, respectively). However, MeJ treatment had a slight effect on grape amino acid content, increasing the concentration of Met (from 8.95 to 12.13 mg/L) and Phe (from 7.96 to 9.29 mg/L). It seems to be that, the resistance induction through CHT and YE treatments results in physiological costs to grapevines associated with a decrease on grape amino acid concentration. Consequently, MeJ applications, as a viticultural practice, could be a better tool than CHT and YE treatments, because did not affect grape amino acid concentration.

Financial support was given by Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)-Gobierno de La Rioja under the project RTA2013-00053-C03-01. G. G.-G. thanks for the financial support given by CONICYT through, BCH/Doctorado - 72170532. J. P. and T. G.-C. wish to thank the INIA-Gobierno de La Rioja and European Social Fund for their contracts. T. G.-C. also thanks MINECO for funding her Ramón y Cajal contract.

Peer reviewed