Improvement of color and increase in anthocyanin content of Niagara Rosada grapes with application of abscisic acid

This study aimed to assess the application effect of abscisic acid (S-ABA) on color, and total anthocyanin and phenolic compound contents of the ‘Niagara Rosada’ grapes. The experiment was carried out in a commercial vineyard located in Jales, SP, Brazil, during 2014/2015. The randomized block design was used with four treatments and five replications. The treatments consisted of applying different concentrations of S-ABA: 0 mg L-1 (control); 400 mg L-1 of S-ABA at the beginning of maturation (BM); 400 mg L-1 of S-ABA in the BM + 200 mg L-1 25 days after the first application (25 DAFA) and 400 mg L-1 of S-ABA in IM + 400 mg L-1 at 25 DAFA. At harvest, the following variables were evaluated: luminosity (L*), saturation (C*), hue (h°) and color index (CIRG). The total anthocyanin content, as well the total phenolic compounds of berries were also determined. The application of 400 mg L-1 of S-ABA in the BM + 200 mg L-1 to 25 DAFA significantly increased the total anthocyanin content of the ‘Niagara Rosada’ grapes, improving the color of the berries as well.   Key words: Abscisic acid, Niagara Rosada’ grapes, color, total anthocyanin, phenolic compound.