Keywords
Abstract
The effect of a number of sunshine hours on the quality of grapes in the South Coastal zone of Crimea is analyzed. The objects of the study were radiation resources of the South Coastal zone of Crimea, and archival data on the mass concentration of sugars in grapes obtained from the vineyards located in Otradnoye village (2007–2011). Data on the mass concentration of sugars were collected for four varieties (‘Muscat Blanc’, ‘Muscat Rose’, ‘Riesling’ and ‘Sercial’). The values of this indicator for the analyzed grape varieties were stated as of the specific day from September to November on which the measurements were taken. The radiation resource indicators were calculated based on the data of devices for recording incoming solar radiation, installed at the Nikitsky Garden agrometeorological station. A number of sunshine hours in the vineyards was calculated from the growing season beginning to the date of test readings of the mass concentration of sugars in berries for the same years. Sunshine duration of the considered season in the years of study for the analyzed grape varieties differed as follows: ‘Muscat Blanc’ – 1484-1791 hours; ‘Muscat Rose’ – 1560-1785 hours; ‘Riesling’ – 1727-1791 hours; ‘Sercial’ – 1547-1731 hours. The correlation was calculated between the mass concentration of sugars in grapes and a number of sunshine hours during time period from the growing season beginning to the date of test readings of the mass concentration of sugars in berries. It is found that the mass concentration of sugars in ‘Riesling’ and ‘Sercial’ grape varieties has a high positive correlation with a number of sunshine hours during the studied years of the period (0.88; 0.95), and in ‘Muscat Blanc’ and ‘Muscat Rose’ grapes - a medium positive correlation (0.65; 0.53).