Impact of climate change on some grapevine varieties grown in Peru for pisco production

Aim : The Peruvian region of Ica is an important area of grapevine cultivation, mainly for the production of pisco, the flagship hard drink of Peru. The effects of a changing climate have been assessed using the recorded temperatures of a weather station together with projected climates for the 21st century generated under the A1B SRES scenario. Methods and results: The bioclimatic indices commonly used in grapevine studies have increased in recent years and will continue to rise along the 21st century in relation to increasing temperature. In parallel, the phenology of four pisco cultivars (Quebranta, Torontel, Moscatel and Italia) has been experimentally assessed during four consecutive years, first to determine their cumulative growing degree-days and then to project them in past and future climates. Conclusion: It appears that the cycle lengths of these cultivars have been shortened in recent years and that this tendency will continue all along the 21st century. Significance and impact of the study: Assessing the immediate and future impact of climate change makes it possible to identify potential crop production problems and provides information on adaptation strategies