Phosphate fertilizers are applied to the soil surface, especially in vineyards in production in subtropical regions. Nowadays, phosphorus (P) is not incorporated into the soil to avoid mechanical damage to the root system in orchards. However, over the years, successive surface P applications can increase the P content only in the topsoil, maintaining low P levels in the subsurface, which can reduce its use by grapevines. For this reason, there is a need to propose strategies to increase the P content in the soil profile of established orchards. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of management strategies to (i) increase the P content in the soil profile; (ii) enhance the grape production; and (iii) maintain the grape must composition. An experiment on the ‘Pinot Noir’ grape in full production was carried out over three crop seasons. The treatments were without P application (C), P on the soil surface without incorporation (SP), P incorporated at 20 cm (IP20), P incorporated at 40 cm (IP40), and twice the P dose incorporated at 40 cm (2IP40). The P concentration in leaves at flowering and veraison, P content in the soil, grape production and its components, and chemical parameters of the grape must (total soluble solids, total polyphenols, total titratable acidity, total anthocyanins, and pH) were evaluated. The P concentration in leaves did not differ among the P application modes. The application of P associated with soil mobilization, especially at 20 cm depth, increased grape production. The P application modes did not affect the values of the chemical parameters of the grape must except for the total anthocyanins, which had the highest values when the vines were subjected to 2IP40. Finally, the P application and incorporation into the soil profile was an efficient strategy for increasing the grape production in full production vineyards.

Old vineyards in production in the Pampa biome have high levels of metals, such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn). The high metal contents in the soil can damage the growth and development of the cover plant species that cohabit the vineyards. However, it is possible to define the critical toxicity level (CTL) of metals in soil and tissue in order to monitor and define possible strategies for reducing metal inputs and selecting more tolerant species. This study aimed to define the CTL of Cu, Zn, and Mn in the soil and plant tissue of plants present between the rows of vineyards with different cultivation histories in the Pampa biome in South America. For this purpose, soil and plant tissue samples were collected in a native field area (NF), without agricultural cultivation and in two vineyards, vineyard 1 (V1) and vineyard 2 (V2), both with a history of fungicide application. To define the CTL, the foliar concentrations and soil contents of Cu, Zn, and Mn were correlated with the dry mass production of the shoot. The CTLs for Cu, Zn, and Mn in the soil were set at 15, 3.0, and 35 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. In the tissue, CTLs for Cu, Zn, and Mn were estimated at 75, 77, and 380 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The contents of Cu, Mn, and Zn in the soil of the vineyards are above the CTL. The concentrations of the metals in the tissue varied, with samples above the CTL for Cu and Zn in the vineyards. The values of Cu, Zn, and Mn in NF are below the CTL in soil and tissue. The high contents of Cu, Zn, and Mn in the soil and tissue limited the dry mass production of the plants between the rows of vineyards.

Nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient for grapevine development, influencing from biomass formation to photosynthetic efficiency and grape quality. However, despite the widespread adoption of grafted plants in modern viticulture, understanding of how different scion–rootstock combinations modulate the uptake of different forms of N present in the soil remains limited. In this context, assessing the nutrient uptake efficiency of grapevines can be a strategy for selecting efficient cultivars, especially in nutritionally poor environments. This study aimed to assess the uptake efficiency of N forms by ‘Chardonnay’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grafted onto rootstocks ‘IAC 572’, ‘Paulsen 1103’ and ‘SO4’. Vines were subjected to Hoagland’s nutrient solution at 50% total strength for 21 days, followed by nutrient depletion and a 72 h kinetic uptake assay. Morphological, physiological, biochemical and uptake-related parameters—V_max, K_m, C_min and influx (I)—were assessed. ‘Chardonnay’ grafted onto the ‘IAC 572’ rootstock was the most efficient in the uptake of both NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺, as it showed the lowest K_m and C_min values and a high influx in relation to the other grapevines evaluated. In general, the ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grafted onto the ‘Paulsen 1103’ and ‘IAC 572’ exhibited the highest affinity (i.e., lower K_m) for N forms, indicating that these combinations are more adaptable to environments with low N availability or require lower N inputs. These findings highlight the importance of using kinetic parameters in plant selection, because they can point out the efficient use of and ability to uptake different N forms, in addition to selecting plants that are efficient at uptaking nutrients in nutritionally depleted soils, or even physiologically efficient with low fertilization rates.