Field experiments examine how reduced nitrogen and organic fertilizer affect grape yield and quality, suggesting sustainable practices.
To improve nitrogen (N) fertilizer management in vineyards and support sustainable production, we conducted field experiments in 2021–2022 to evaluate the effects of reduced N fertilization combined with organic fertilizer (OF) on vine growth, fruit quality, soil fertility, and economic returns in Shine Muscat grapes. Six treatments were established: conventional fertilization (CF), four reduced-N treatments combined with OF (0.9N + OF to 0.6N + OF; i.e., 10–40% N reduction), and a blank control (CK). Yield was significantly increased under 0.8N + OF (18.2% in 2021; 96.0% in 2022) and 0.7N + OF (10.8% in 2021; 47.9% in 2022), with 0.8N + OF also delivering the highest economic returns. Fruit quality analysis showed that 0.8N + OF consistently increased total sugar and the sugar–acid ratio, and improved vitamin C content. Substitution ratios >40% led to a decline in economic benefits. Path analysis indicated that vertical diameter and single-berry weight exerted significant positive effects on total yield. OF substitution also improved fruit quality. Soil available nutrients (N, P, and K) and organic matter were primary factors influencing yield; potassium was the key factor regulating sugar accumulation, with the strongest effect on improving flavor coordination. Reducing N by 20–30% combined with OF (particularly the 0.8N + OF treatment) synergistically enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, N utilization, yield and quality, and soil fertility, representing the optimal fertilization strategy.
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Huang et al. (2026) studied this question.
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