To combat excessive vine vigor, many vintners have employed intensive cover cropping techniques. While cover crops provide a multitude of benefits to the farming system, they can compete for nutrients and water. The seemingly ubiquitous adoption of cover crops in the Eastern United States has led to vines and grape musts which are deficient in nitrogen (N). A must that is deficient in yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) can lead to the production of off aromas and stuck or sluggish fermentations. It has also been suggested that musts with limited amino nitrogen sources can result in wines with less fruity aromas than those with a higher starting amino acid content. Varying rates of calcium nitrate were applied to the soil at bloom and foliar urea was sprayed at a Sauvignon blanc and Petit Manseng (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard. Perennial White and Crimson clover as well as foliar urea applications at v ér a i s o n were utilized at a Vidal blanc (Vitis spp.) site. Foliar urea was effective at significantly increasing YANs in all experiments with some year to year variation in efficacy. Foliar urea applications slightly favored the production of ammonia over primary amino nitrogen. While most of the measured amino acids in fruit increased in concentration with the application of either soil or foliar N, foliar applications were more effective at increasing fruit amino acids. Of the amino acids measured, arginine and glutamine were the most increased by foliar urea applications, whereas proline was relatively unaffected. The use of clover as a perennial under-vine cover crop did not increase berry YAN. The application of foliar urea sprays may present an effective means by which vintners can easily increase must YANs and amino acid contents. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Vineyards in the Eastern United States are often prone to excessive vegetative growth. In order to suppress excessive vine vigor, many viticulturists have employed cover cropping strategies. Cover crops provide a myriad of agronomic benefits, however they are known to compete with the vine for water and nutrients. Due to the widespread use of cover crops in Eastern vineyards, many vineyards experience nitrogen (N) deficiencies in both the vegetative vine tissue and yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) in the juice. Soil applications of calcium nitrate and foliar applications of urea were assessed as a means of vineyard N amelioration at cover cropped sites comprised of Petit Manseng and Sauvignon blanc (Vitis vinifera L.). Perennial White and Crimson clover cover crops and foliar urea applications were also used in a Vidal blanc (Vitis spp.) vineyard. Treatments were imposed in the Sauvignon blanc vineyard for five years. The Petit Manseng and Vidal blanc vineyards were subjected to treatments for two years. Soil-applied N at bloom was most effective at increasing leaf petiole N at véraison, season-long chlorophyll content index (CCI), vine capacity and fruit yield. Fruit yield was increased due to more berries per cluster and greater berry weights. Increased rates of soil-applied N decreased the fruit weight:pruning weight ratio. Clover cover crops offered little to no benefit as a N source in the two-year period of evaluation. None of the N management schemes negatively impacted canopy density, fruit zone light interception, or botrytis bunch rot incidence. The combination of both a soil-applied and foliar-applied N fertilizer may be the most effective means to increase both vine capacity and YAN in vineyards where vineyard floor cover crops are compromising vine N status. / Master of Science

Vineyards in the Eastern United States are often prone to excessive vegetative growth. In order to suppress excessive vine vigor, many viticulturists have employed cover cropping strategies. Cover crops provide a myriad of agronomic benefits, however they are known to compete with the vine for water and nutrients. Due to the widespread use of cover crops in Eastern vineyards, many vineyards experience nitrogen (N) deficiencies in both the vegetative vine tissue and yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) in the juice. Soil applications of calcium nitrate and foliar applications of urea were assessed as a means of vineyard N amelioration at cover cropped sites comprised of Petit Manseng and Sauvignon blanc (Vitis vinifera L.). Perennial White and Crimson clover cover crops and foliar urea applications were also used in a Vidal blanc (Vitis spp.) vineyard. Treatments were imposed in the Sauvignon blanc vineyard for five years. The Petit Manseng and Vidal blanc vineyards were subjected to treatments for two years. Soil-applied N at bloom was most effective at increasing leaf petiole N at véraison, season-long chlorophyll content index (CCI), vine capacity and fruit yield. Fruit yield was increased due to more berries per cluster and greater berry weights. Increased rates of soil-applied N decreased the fruit weight:pruning weight ratio. Foliar-applied N after fruit set was most effective at increasing berry YAN. While most of the measured amino acids in fruit increased in concentration with the application of either soil or foliar N, foliar applications were more effective at increasing fruit amino acids. Clover cover crops offered little to no benefit as a N source in the two-year period of evaluation. None of the N management schemes negatively impacted canopy density, fruit zone light interception, or botrytis bunch rot incidence. The combination of both a soil-applied and foliar-applied N fertilizer may be the most effective means to increase both vine capacity and YAN in vineyards where vineyard floor cover crops are compromising vine N status. / Master of Science