Impact of Commercial Container Systems on Biomass, Root Morphology, and Leaf Function in 1-Year Old ‘Concord’ (Vitis labrusca) and ‘Traminette’ (French–American Hybrid) Grapevines Grown in a Greenhouse

The containerized production of grapevines has increased recently in the United States. Using container systems is a paramount consideration for nursery profitability and plant growth. Nurseries aim for a system that optimize greenhouse space and shipping costs, while maintaining transplant quality. Limited research has been conducted on the effects of container systems on grapevine growth and physiology traits. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of commercially used container systems in US nurseries on plant biomass, root morphology, and leaf function during nursery production. One-year old own-rooted ‘Concord’ and ‘Traminette’ grapevines were grown for 104 days in three commercial nursery container systems: ‘small’ (7.6 × 20 cm, 1.2 L tapered, internal vertical walls), ‘medium’ (10 × 23 cm, 1.5 L, tapered, internal vertical walls), and ‘large’ (15 × 40 cm, 4.4 L, rectangular, smooth-walled). Neither shoot nor root dry weights were affected by the container system in any of the cultivars; similarly, the root morphology of none of the cultivars was affected by the container system. The container system did not impact leaf function (photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance) observed; however, small container systems led to lower chlorophyll content in both cultivars. Our study suggests that all tested container systems are applicable for grapevine nurseries.