regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), an irrigation scheduling technique which uses mild water stress at key stages of fruit development to reduce vegetative growth and improve berry ripening and thus improve grape quality.
RDI was first applied on peach and pear orchards in Australia in the 1980s. Research showed that it restricted shoot growth without significantly affecting yield. It is now common practice in many vineyards around the world, especially in those planted to black grape varieties, due to the greater benefits to grape colour.
