Water shortage (WS) during growing of Vitis vinifera L. can limit shoot growth and affect yield and fruit
quality, as well as allocation of carbon reserves into perennial organs for the upcoming years. Varietal
anatomical differences, such as specific mean xylem vessel diameter in petiole, are expected to influence
water transport in canes facing water limitation. Several authors have also evidenced that non-structural
carbohydrates (NSC) of adjacent living parenchyma are involved in the repair mechanism of embolized
vessels. In this work, we evaluated NSC level and xylem anatomy in petiole of Cabernet Sauvignon and
Syrah varieties, subjected to WS and subsequent water refilling in the summer of 2017. The anatomical
analysis highlighted that Syrah had high frequency of classes of large vessels, and that the xylem
differentiation of vascular bundles was also affected by WS. Moreover, petiole NSC content was
significantly influenced by WS and recovery, supporting the hypothesis that starch mobilization was
associated to an elevated concentration in soluble NSC. This effect was determinant for Cabernet
Sauvignon, whose stress response seemed to be based mainly on NSC metabolism. Finally, Syrah,
differently to Cabernet Sauvignon, sustained the WS-induced increase in soluble NSC of petiole also 18 h
after re-watering.
