Comparison of whole-canopy water use efficiency and vine performance of cv. Sangiovese (Vitis vinifera L.) vines subjected to a post-veraison water deficit

•Water use efficiency (WUE) is a primary determinant of plant responses to drought.•WUE at leaf and plant level was assessed in cv. Sangiovese under drought.•Increased leaf WUE under water stress was not confirmed at the plant level.•Lower canopy WUE under drought matched with poorer vine performance.•Recommendation is to supply not less than 70% of vine water use after veraison.

In the present paper a series of WUE expressions, including the physiological and agronomical, were compared in potted cv. Sangiovese (Vitis vinifera L.) grapevines which were either well watered (WW) or subjected to progressive post-veraison water stress (WS) by supplying decreasing fractions (i.e. 70%, 50% and 30%) of daily canopy transpiration (Tc) concurrently recorded via a plant-enclosure gas exchange system. While single-leaf intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi) increased with water stress severity, seasonal whole-canopy WUE were similar at pre-stress, 70% Tc, and upon rewatering but dropped during severe water stress. WUE calculated as mass of dry weight stored in annual biomass (leaves, canes and clusters) per liter of water used, did not differ on a seasonal basis, whereas WW and WS showed similar grape composition despite the latter suffered a 25% yield reduction. Results confirm that whole-canopy WUE is a much better index than single-leaf based WUE parameter for extrapolation to agronomic WUE and actual grape composition. Under our specific case study, due to high reactivity of Sangiovese to early yellowing and shedding of basal leaves, it can be recommended that post-veraison water supply to Sangiovese vines should not be lower than 70% of daily vine water use.