Characterization of Local Mediterranean Grapevine Varieties for Their Resilience to Semi-Arid Conditions under a Rain-Fed Regime
, Jaume X. Soler 2, Mariano Fos 3, Diego S. Intrigliolo 4,*, Alberto Yuste 5, Belén Picó 1, Daniel Torrent 1 and Rosa Peiró 1
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
1. What are the of the test grapes? Would the tree-ages of the test grapes affect the test results if the difference of tree-ages is large?
2. It is suggested that water use efficiency of the keyword be changed to intrinsic water use efficiency.
3. It is recommended that the climatic conditions be represented by graphs or tables. The precipitation in 2020 and 2021 are close. Is the data of the experiments close? What is the precipitation in 2019? What is the soil moisture content of vineyards in early of 2020 and 2021?
4、Line122：What was AE (√( Δ ?2 + Δ ?2 + Δ ?2)？ And ?2 、?2 、?2？
5、 Which year's data are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and Tables 1, 2 and 6?
6、Is the research results of this manuscript consistent with the traditional experiences and existing research results? What are the new insights of this study?
7、Is the result of this paper applicable for a dry year or a wet year?
Author Response
- What are the of the test grapes? Would the tree-ages of the test grapes affect the test results if the difference of tree-ages is large?
Information was added in the section of Material and Methods to clarify this. Data of plantation was 1973.
- It is suggested that water use efficiency of the keyword be changed to intrinsic water use efficiency.
This change has been done
- It is recommended that the climatic conditions be represented by graphs or tables. The precipitation in 2020 and 2021 are close. Is the data of the experiments close? What is the precipitation in 2019? What is the soil moisture content of vineyards in early of 2020 and 2021?
We have added a supplementary table (now Table S1) with meteorological data from 2019 to 2011 and represented averaged temperatures and precipitation for each month and year in a supplementary figure (Figuure. S1). In addition, mean values for several climate parameters for the last 10 years were added to the section climate conditions to have an expanded overview of climate in the area of study.
4、Line122：What was AE (√( Δ ?2 + Δ ?2 + Δ ?2)？ And ?2 、?2 、?2？
The following is specified in the new version:
a colorimeter (Konika Minolta) was used to measure leaf color in the upper and lower side of leaves and total color difference (AE) was obtained using the formula √(Δ?2 + Δ?2 + Δ?2 where, ΔL, Δa and Δb are deviations from L, a and b values (The three coordinates of CIELAB color space which represent the lightness of the color (L) and green-red (a) and blue-yellow (b) opponent colors. Two measurements per leaf in ten plants per variety were made.
5、 Which year's data are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and Tables 1, 2 and 6?
This information was indicated for tables in lines 121 (for table 1, years 2020 and 2021); .131 (for table 2, year 2021) and 166 (tabla 6, year 2021) of the previous version. Photographs for figures were taken in 2020 and 2021.
6、Is the research results of this manuscript consistent with the traditional experiences and existing research results? What are the new insights of this study?
No information for the minor varieties Arcos and Forcallat under field conditions had been previously reported neither ampelographic data for Arcos. Therefore, the characterization of both minor varieties is new. The recovery of existing germplasm adapted to dry conditions is now of importance in the context of climate change. In addition, great interest is currently in minor varieties for wine diversification. In this sense, looking for genetic intra-variability is also interesting and, in our work, lot of differences between Veremeta clara and Monastrell, which share the same SSR profile were found. For the rest of varieties such as Bobal and Monastrell, our results are consistent with previous reports. We have re-written the discussion and hope it is clearer.
7、Is the result of this paper applicable for a dry year or a wet year?
We have introduced more information for climate conditions in this area which has hot and dry summers and annual precipitation lower than 500 mm. We have also added a supplementary table and a figure (Table S1, Figure S1).
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear Authors,
The problem of water management in areas with very limited resources is extremely difficult. The authors in their work raised an important problem related to the cultivation of grapevine. Despite the numerous studies they have carried out, the manner of their presentation could be clearer. What I have the biggest objections about is the too general description of the meteorological conditions, so important for this type of production. More figures and charts and fewer tables would be a much better solution at work. To sum up, the article is interesting, and due to its practical dimension, it can also be helpful for wine producers.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
The problem of water management in areas with very limited resources is extremely difficult. The authors in their work raised an important problem related to the cultivation of grapevine. Despite the numerous studies they have carried out, the manner of their presentation could be clearer. What I have the biggest objections about is the too general description of the meteorological conditions, so important for this type of production. More figures and charts and fewer tables would be a much better solution at work. To sum up, the article is interesting, and due to its practical dimension, it can also be helpful for wine producers.
Climatic conditions have been described in the climate section introducing averaged data for annual information for the years of study (2020, 2021) and that previous (2019) (Table S1) and a supplementary figure (Figure S1) where precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature and averaged temperatures were represented by month and year. We also introduced in the corresponding section information from the las 10 years to have an overview of the climate conditions. In addition, the discussion and conclusions were rewritten to better understand them.
Reviewer 3 Report
This paper is a very practical study that examines the elasticity characteristics of rainfall changes in semi-arid regions according to the type of grapes in the Mediterranean region.
The most important topic or background in this study is to identify the growth characteristics of each grape in the 'rain fed regime' area and to cope with future risks. Although the growth characteristics of grapes were fully investigated and analyzed in the paper, the analysis of the relationship between the characteristics of 'rain fed regime' and the growth characteristics seems relatively insufficient. In principle, research should be conducted based on the external force in which the supply of water is reduced due to climate change based on the water that can be supplied to grape farming, so that the characteristics suggested in the thesis title can be confirmed. However, this paper simply presented the characteristics of grape farming based on the total amount of rainfall between July 16 and August 10, 2020 and July 6 and September 10, 2021. In other words, it is judged that the characteristics of rainfall over the two years of 2020 and 2021 cannot represent the trend of climate change or precipitation decreasing.
Therefore, the reviewer will require additional analysis of rainfall characteristics in the study area and additional changes in grape farming characteristics according to rainfall characteristics.
Author Response
This paper is a very practical study that examines the elasticity characteristics of rainfall changes in semi-arid regions according to the type of grapes in the Mediterranean region.
The most important topic or background in this study is to identify the growth characteristics of each grape in the 'rain fed regime' area and to cope with future risks. Although the growth characteristics of grapes were fully investigated and analyzed in the paper, the analysis of the relationship between the characteristics of 'rain fed regime' and the growth characteristics seems relatively insufficient. In principle, research should be conducted based on the external force in which the supply of water is reduced due to climate change based on the water that can be supplied to grape farming, so that the characteristics suggested in the thesis title can be confirmed. However, this paper simply presented the characteristics of grape farming based on the total amount of rainfall between July 16 and August 10, 2020 and July 6 and September 10, 2021. In other words, it is judged that the characteristics of rainfall over the two years of 2020 and 2021 cannot represent the trend of climate change or precipitation decreasing.
Therefore, the reviewer will require additional analysis of rainfall characteristics in the study area and additional changes in grape farming characteristics according to rainfall characteristics.
Information of climatic conditions in the area of study for the last 10 years was included in the corresponding section. Annual information for several climatic traits for the years of study (2020, 2021) and 2019 are in a new supplementary data (Table S1). A supplementary figure (Figure S1) where precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature and averaged temperatures were represented by month and year was also added.
The discussion and conclusions were rewritten hoping that the work is better understood.
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Suggestion 4 is still not solved. Please use the formula editor for the formula in the manuscript.
Author Response
This comment is related to the formula for calculating AE. We agree with the reviewer that this comment was not successfully solved. We now better explain that the AE (total color difference) refers to a comparison between values obtained in the Monastrell and Veremeta varieties. In this sense, a colorimeter (Konika Minolta) was used to measure leaf color in the upper and lower side of leaves using CIELAB color space. The results were recorded using the color parameters L (the lightness of the color (0 = black, 100 = white)), a (the red (positive)/green (negative) coordinate), and b (the yellow (positive)/blue (negative) coordinate). In addition, the formula is now included with Word formula editor tool. A complete analysis of the CIELAB color space measurements can be found for instance in the following publication by Weatherall, and Coombs (1982). Skin Color Measurements in Terms of CIELAB Color Space Values. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 99: 468-473. https://doi.org/10.1111/1523-1747.ep12616156.
Reviewer 3 Report
The reviewer asked the author to analyze the rainfall-growth characteristics according to changes in rainfall (annual/or monthly units), one of the biggest influencing factors affecting the growth characteristics of each grape. In the study, the growth characteristics of grapes over the two-year period are presented in consideration of various aspects. However, the reviewer believes that not only growth characteristics but also the crop characteristics of grapes due to rainfall changes are necessary.
If the author simply mentions the characteristics of rainfall as 350-500mm for the past 10 years, it is impossible to grasp the growth characteristics of grapes due to actual rainfall fluctuations, and this is not reflected.
Author Response
In the material and methods section, it is now better explained which values actually correspond to the average for the site (10 years) and what it is instead related to the two experimental seasons. We agree that some confusion was previously made in this sense. On the other hand, when possible, a more in-depth analysis of the differences found among the two experimental seasons is now performed. For instance, in general for all varieties, gs values were higher in the first experimental season probably because the more abundant rainfall registered in 2020 than in 2021 (See Lines 294-296)
