Differential Agronomic Management Explains Soil and Berry Rheology in Traditional Vineyards of the Itata Valley, Chile

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

All comments and suggestions are indicated in the reviewed manuscript.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

1. “The term ‘berry quality’ involves many chemical attributes, but only rheological properties were evaluated. The title should be changed from ‘berry quality’ to ‘berry rheology’.”

Response: We appreciate this observation. We agree with the reviewer's suggestion and have modified the title accordingly.

2. “Why was the soil sampled at a depth of 20 cm? In heavy soils, the highest concentration of active roots is found between 30–60 cm, and in dryland granitic soils, the roots may be even deeper.”

Response: Thank you for the observation. Although active roots may exist at greater depths, 20 cm was selected following the recommendation of the analytical laboratory for microbiological evaluations, and it is also supported by previous literature. We have added the corresponding reference to justify this methodological decision.

3. “The grape variety can significantly influence enzyme activity, such as dehydrogenase and urease, affecting nutrient availability and mobility.”

Response: We agree. We have added text explaining the varietal influence on enzyme activity and nutrient dynamics, along with the corresponding references.

4. “The pH does not differ statistically.”

Response: Although no significant differences were detected, even slight variations in soil pH can influence nutrient solubility, microbial activity, and fertilizer behavior. We clarify this agronomic relevance in the text.

5. “If agronomic management, location, soil properties, and rootstock are similar for OCI and OCA, then the variety must be the source of variation.”

Response: We agree with this interpretation and clarify it in the text.

6. “Could the variety influence dehydrogenase and urease activity and micronutrient availability?”

Response: Yes, the variety can influence these properties. We added references that support this statement and revised the discussion.

7. “How can the differences between OCI and OCA be explained if they only differ in variety?”

Response: Our study showed that Carmenere exhibited higher soil health indicators than Cinsault under the same management, confirming the varietal effect. Additional explanations and references were included.

8. “This could be explained by the presence of vegetation cover… herbicides were applied only at the beginning of the season.”

Response: We clarified that the herbicides were applied only at the beginning of the season and not at the time of sampling, which may have reduced the differences between treatments.

9. “Were the differences (OCA, OCI/PA, CPA) influenced by management or by variety?”

Response: Both variables influenced the results. We indicated this as a limitation of the study and as a future line of research.

10. “Ensure that the manuscript reflects these varietal effects, which are still insufficiently documented.”

Response: We expanded the discussion on varietal effects, especially in Chilean heritage cultivars.

11. Additional corrections (language, consistency, figures, references).

Response: We thoroughly reviewed the manuscript to ensure consistency and quality.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The methodology applied in this paper is not scientifically correct for 2 main reasons:1) treatments are not employed, since it is not clear if the investigation regards grape varieties or orchard management; 2) no replications are used; the use of 1 sample analyzed several times cannot be considered replications. A sufficient number of replications is required to minimize the experimental error. If the same sample is analyzed several times, the means obtained will have a little variation not representative of the real biological diversity

Author Response

1. “The methodology is not scientifically sound because no treatments are used; it is unclear whether the study refers to varieties or management practices.”

 

Response: We appreciate this comment. Our study was conducted in an ancestral vineyard established in 1768, where real-world combinations of variety and management practices coexist. This is not a controlled experimental design, but rather a study of actual production conditions. Even so, the vineyard has maintained contrasting agricultural practices for at least five years. Therefore, we defined the following treatments:

(i) País without management (CW)

(ii) País under conventional management (CW)

(iii) Cinsault under organic management (CWM)

(iv) Carmenere under organic management (CWM)

2. “There is no biological replication; analyzing the same sample multiple times does not constitute replication.”

Response: We acknowledge this limitation. Ancestral vineyards do not allow for replication of variety × management combinations. However, to reduce spatial variability, we took four independent sampling points per treatment, each composed of three subsamples. This is explained  the Methods section.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This study investigates the impact of different agronomic management systems (non-managed, conventional, and organic) on soil biological and chemical properties, as well as berry rheological properties, in traditional vineyards of Chile's Itata Valley. The authors demonstrate that organic management enhances soil enzymatic activity and berry structural stability, while conventional management leads to higher nutrient availability but reduced biological activity. The research is relevant to sustainable viticulture and contributes valuable insights into the soil–fruit quality relationship in heritage vineyards.

1. País under conventional vs. non-managed; Cinsault and Carmenere under organic？
2. Added the chemical composition data for the berries.
3. Perform thorough language editing by a native English speaker or professional editing service.
4. Ensure consistency in varietal names and technical terms throughout the text and figures.
5. Added the discussion by linking findings more explicitly to microbial ecology, nutrient cycling, and berry biochemistry.
6. Added the discussion with literature on organic vs. conventional viticulture.
7. Ensure all figures are included and clearly labeled.
8. Ensure all in-text citations are included in the reference list and formatted consistently.

Author Response

1. “País under conventional management vs. no management; Cinsault and Carmenere under organic management.”

Response: We confirmed that this was the structure of the study, reflecting the actual configuration of the ancestral vineyard.

2. “The chemical composition of the berries was added.”

Response: We included the available data in the supplementary material.

3. “Perform a complete language review.”

Response: We sent the manuscript to a professional English editing service.

4. “Ensure consistency in variety names and technical terminology.”

Response: Completed.

5. “Add a discussion comparing organic vs. conventional management.”

Response: We added a discussion supported by recent literature.

6. “Ensure all figures are included and properly labeled.”

Response: Verified.

7. “Ensure consistency between citations and references.”

Response: Checked and corrected.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper is not suitable for a scientific Journal

The aim of the paper is:

‘to evaluate the effect of agronomic management type (non-managed, conventional, and organic) on soil quality bioindicators, including basal soil respiration and enzymatic activities related to the C, N, P, and S cycles, as well as on available soil chemical elements (organic matter, macroelements, and microelements) and berry viscosity in vineyards of the Itata Valley’

The wrong approach is here used. To evaluate those bioindicators a large number of replications (50-100) including several locations are required, this number is eventually increased by the different varieties, different soil slope, exposure, microclimate, etc.) since they introduce a source of variability. In this case a multiannual survey with a factorial statistical management (i.e. system*year*variety) that helps in increasing the replication is recommended

 

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript is ok.