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Journal of Integrative Agriculture
Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2025, Vol. 24 Issue (4): 1503-1514    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.04.032
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Multi-nutrient fertilization-based analysis of fruit quality and mineral element composition during fruit development in Merlot wine grapevines

Xiaolong Wang1, 2, Xuedong Shao3, Zhengwen Zhang3, Xiaomin Zhong3, Xiaohao Ji1, 2, Xiangbin Shi1, 2, Chang Liu1, 2, Zhiqiang Wang1, 2, Fengzhi Liu1, 2, Haibo Wang1, 2#

1 Key Laboratory of Germplasm Resources Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xingcheng 125100, China

2 Key Laboratory of Mineral Nutrition and Fertilizers Efficient Utilization of Deciduous Fruit Tree of Liaoning Province, Xingcheng 125100, China

3 Junding Winery Co., Ltd., Penglai 265600, China

 Highlights 
● The mineral elements of different tissues and growth stages were simultaneously used as nutritional diagnostic factors for specific fruit quality.
● Based on 5-4-16 formula fertilization scheme, the precise fertilization rate and ratio can be achieved for specific fruit quality.
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摘要  
矿质元素在植物生长发育中起着至关重要的作用。确保土壤中矿质元素的适当供应及保持植物内的最佳范围是获得最佳果实产量和品质的必要条件。然而，果树的氮、磷、钾、钙、镁肥料往往施用不足或过量，导致环境恶化、果实产量和品质下降。为评估不同肥料对葡萄果实生物相关性状的影响及其对营养元素的响应，于2018 ~ 2021年在烟台市蓬莱区连续4个生长季对梅乐酿酒葡萄进行了多养分施肥。主成分分析表明，T11（N3P3K1Ca2Mg4）处理是本试验条件下最适宜的肥料类型和施用方案。与T14（N4P2K3Ca1Mg4）、T16（N4P4K1Ca3Mg2）、T13 （N4P1K4Ca2Mg3）和T15（N4P3K2Ca4Mg1）处理处理相比，T11处理的肥料施用量显著降低了24.29% ~ 35.20%，百粒重（HGW）、种子数量（SN）、可溶性固形物含量（TSS）、种子总酚（SP）、种子黄烷醇（SFI）、种子单宁（ST）等重要性状分别提高了3.28% ~ 12.84%、3.76% ~ 20.03%、1.11% ~ 14.95%、2.16% ~ 23.69%、11.00% ~ 32.78%、1.07% ~ 23.35%。开花和坐果表现出对氮、磷、钾的大量需求，在果实生长发育过程中对钾和硼的需求高于其他矿质元素。土壤中过量钾元素会增强梅乐酿酒葡萄对钙元素吸收的竞争性抑制。果皮总酚（PP）、果皮黄烷醇（PFI）、果皮总黄酮（PFD）、果皮总酚（SP）和果皮单宁（ST）矿质元素含量的最佳范围主要受葡萄品种和营养分析方法的影响。综上所述，严格选用氮、磷、钾、钙、镁肥料及制定详细的施肥制度使土壤矿质元素保持在最适宜范围内对葡萄生长发育至关重要。


Abstract  
Mineral elements play a crucial role in plant growth and development.  Ensuring the proper supply of these elements in the soil to maintain the optimum range within plants is necessary for achieving optimal fruit yield and quality.  Unfortunately, the application of NPKCaMg fertilizers to fruit trees is often either insufficient or excessive, leading to environmental degradation and reduced fruit yield and quality.  To assess the impacts of different fertilizers on the biological traits of grapes and their responses to nutritional elements, Merlot grapevines were subjected to multi-nutrient fertilization over four consecutive growing seasons from 2018 to 2021 in Penglai District, Yantai, China.  Principal component analysis revealed that the T11 treatment, consisting of N3P3K1Ca2Mg4, was the most suitable fertilizer type and application design among the treatments.  The application of T11 resulted in a significantly lower (24.29–35.20%) fertilizer usage, and it resulted in increases in several important traits such as 100-grain weight (HGW), number of seeds (SN), total soluble solids (TSS), total seed phenols (SP), seed flavanols (SFI), and seed tannins (ST) by 3.28–12.84%, 3.76–20.03%, 1.11–14.95%, 2.16–23.69%, 11.00–32.78%, and 1.07–23.35%, respectively, compared to the T14 (N4P2K3Ca1Mg4), T16 (N4P4K1Ca3Mg2), T13 (N4P1K4Ca2Mg3), and T15 (N4P3K2Ca4Mg1) treatments.  Flowering and fruiting processes exhibited a considerable demand for NPK, with higher requirements for K and B during fruit growth and development compared to the other macroelements and micronutrients, respectively.  Excessive K in soil enhanced the competitive inhibition of Ca uptake by Merlot grapevines.  The optimal ranges of mineral element contents for total peel phenols (PP), peel flavanols (PFI), total peel flavonoids (PFD), total seed phenols (SP), and seed tannins (ST) were primarily influenced by grape variety and nutritional analysis method.  In conclusion, the careful selection of NPKCaMg fertilizer and its precise application to soil at an optimum range of mineral elements is critical for grapevine growth and development.


Keywords:  fruit quality       mineral element        optimum range        Merlot  
Received: 06 November 2023   Accepted: 22 March 2024
Fund: 
This study was funded by the earmarked fund for China Agriculture Research System (NYCYTX-30-ZP) and the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-ASTIP-2021-RIP-04). 
About author:  #Correspondence Haibo Wang, E-mail: haibo8316@163.com
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Xiaolong Wang, Xuedong Shao, Zhengwen Zhang, Xiaomin Zhong, Xiaohao Ji, Xiangbin Shi, Chang Liu, Zhiqiang Wang, Fengzhi Liu, Haibo Wang. 2025. Multi-nutrient fertilization-based analysis of fruit quality and mineral element composition during fruit development in Merlot wine grapevines. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 24(4): 1503-1514.

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