Editorials
Brix, Polyphenols and Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen: high quality must with Ilsa biostimulants
For the fourth consecutive year, the absolute effectiveness on Montepulciano has been confirmed
12/03/2019
Four years of tests, carried out in Abruzzo on the Montepulciano vineyards, has confirmed the undisputed effect of Ilsa’s Viridem® biostimulants on the increase in the quality of the must be destined for vinification. And four years are not little, especially if we consider the enormous climatic variability that occurred from 2015 to 2018 – warm and dry years alternating with rainy seasons and below average spring temperatures. 2018 confirmed this particular trend due to a large summer rainfall, which led to an excess of vegetative vigour and strong phytosanitary problems. Most of the vineyards in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo, have in fact shown an uneven growth of the bunches and a widespread delay in maturation.
This reinforces the results obtained from the use of ILSAC-ON even more, a 100% vegetable biostimulant based on the enzymatic hydrolysate of Fabaceae, produced exclusively by Ilsa. As in previous years, ILSAC-ON was applied starting from post-setting during the growth of the berries, highlighting a better and uniform conformation of the bunches and a faster recovery from stressful situations due to heavy rains and the presence of fungal diseases.
| PHASE | Thesis ILSA (Montepulciano of 20 years) |
Witness (Montepulciano of 50 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Post-Setting | IlsaC-on: 2 kg/ha | / |
| Berry Enlargement | IlsaC-on: 2 kg/ha | / |
| Enlarged berries (after 15 days) | IlsaC-on: 2 kg/ha | / |
| Start Veraison | IlsaGrader: 3 kg/ha | / |
| Full Veraison | IlsaGrader: 3 kg/ha | / |
Tab.1: Protocol of foliar applications carried out in the test on Montepulciano in Pianelle (PE) in 2018
The other treatments, fertilization and phytosanitary defence were similar in both theses. Ilsa biostimulants have been mixed with other commercial formulations.
The action of the biostimulant on the increase in photosynthetic activity and, consequently, on the production of sugars and other noble compounds has been completed by ILSAGRADER applications, starting from veraison. This product is important for the increase of the final quality of the grapes and it allows an increase and transfer of the metabolites that the plant has produced in the clusters, also acting on the uniformity of maturation and on the balance between all the parameters important for the subsequent vinification phase (YAN, pH, acidity).
In the test carried out in 2018 in Pianella (PE) in collaboration with Cantine Lampato, the results of most analysis confirmed the prerequisites evaluated during pre-harvest. Compared to the Montepulciano tent used as a witness, the increase in terms of sugar content, polyphenol content and APA was clear. The index of technological maturity (Z/A) in the functioning of the lowest acidity and, in particular, of the lower value of malic acid (which indicates a better degree of maturation) was also optimal despite the younger age of the tent in which Ilsa biostimulants were applied.
The result is also excellent in terms of the Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen i.e. nitrogen in the form of amino acids, which are the nourishment for the yeasts responsible for fermentation (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), in particular, arginine, alanine, glutamine, serine and valine. The highest PAN content must, therefore, reduces the risk of stale fermentation and, consequently, produce wines without residual sugar or olfactory and gustatory defects.
| Thesis ILSA (Montepulciano of 20 years) |
Witness (Montepulciano of 50 years) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Sugary Content (sucrose%(m/m)) |
23,5 | 20,4 |
| Total Acidity (g/L of tartaric acid) |
5,33 | 6,35 |
| pH | 3,43 | 3,31 |
| L-malic acid (g/L) |
1,03 | 1,45 |
| Polyphenol Index at 280 nm (in gallic acid) (mg/L) |
1.274 | 1.076 |
| YAN (mg/L) |
97 | 59 |
Tab.2: Results of must analysis, carried out by the CEM of Ortona (CH) on 26/09/2018.
The increase in these fundamental qualitative parameters for grapes is, in fact, exclusive of the whole range of Ilsa protein fertilizers (high content of organic nitrogen and amino acids) and of Ilsa plant based biostimulants (based on natural triacontanol, polyphenols and other bioactive molecules), thanks not only to the natural raw materials used but also to the production processes, such as enzymatic hydrolysis, which guarantee an absolute quality and effectiveness of the applications that are carried out.
Tests on Montepulciano Abruzzo 2015 – 2018
Comparison between BRIX values at harvest
During the mid-September survey, the Ilsa Thesis (pictured above), in which the ILSAC-ON and ILSAGRADER leaf biostimulants were applied, had a more advanced degree of ripening when compared to the Witness (photo below) in which many bunches wore berries that were still not completely coloured due to the abnormal summer climate.
