General phenological model to characterise the timing of flowering and veraison of Vitis vinifera L.

Background and Aims: Phenological models, which are based on responses of the plant to temperature, are useful tools to predict grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) phenology in various climate conditions. This study aimed to develop a single process-based phenological model at the species level to predict two important stages of development for V. vinifera L.: flowering and veraison. Methods and Results: Three different phenological models were tested and the model that gave the best results was optimised for its parameters. The chosen model Spring Warming was found optimal with regard to the trade-off between parsimony of input parameters and efficiency. The base temperature (Tb) of 0 degrees C calculated from the 60th day (t(0)) of the year (for the Northern hemisphere) was found to be the most optimal parameter set tested. This model henceforth referred to as the Grapevine Flowering Veraison model (GFV) was successfully validated at the varietal level using an independent dataset. Conclusions: A general phenological model, GFV, has been successfully developed to characterise the timing of flowering and veraison for the grapevine. Significance of the Study: The model is simple for the user, can be successfully applied to many varieties and can be used as an easy predictor of phenology for different varieties under climate change scenarios.