Role of climate on grape characteristics of “Moscato bianco” in Piemonte (Italy)

The vital role of soils in supporting life on our planet cannot be overstated. Soils provide numerous ecosystem services and functions, including biomass production, carbon sequestration, physical support, biological habitat, and genetic reserve, among others. Understanding the characteristics and sensitivity of soils in a specific terroir, along with effective soil management practices, is crucial for the sustainable management of natural resources.

Bobal is the second most widely grown Spanish red grape variety (54,165 has), mainly cultivated in the Valencian Community and especially, in Utiel-Requena region (about 67% of 34,000 has). In this study, agronomic and enological parameters were determined in 98 biotypes selected during 2018 and 2019 in more than 50 vineyards over 50 years-old in the Utiel-Requena region. Moreover, a multi-criteria approach considering temperature and rainfall (Fig. 1A), among other parameters, was made to establish three different zones within the region (Fig. 1B), where in the future the selected biotypes will evaluated. In fact, in 2020, 4 replicates and 12 vines per biotype were planted in an experimental vineyard to preserve this important intra-cultivar diversity.

Nowadays, many policies are being adopted for direct agriculture towards more sustainable approaches. To continue to maintain a high production using fewer fertilizers, pesticides and water resources, agronomic techniques must be combined with biotechnological approaches. In grapevine, the breeding programs are restricted by the fact that it has a highly heterozygous genome, therefore, if on the one hand, we try to improve the characteristics, on the other hand it is necessary to preserve the original genome of the varieties. CRISPR-cas9 system is one of the smartest tools to carry out highly precise genetic modifications leaving the genetic background unchanged.

The use of grapevine genetic diversity is a way to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on viticulture systems. Leaf epidermal flavonoids (including flavonols and anthocyanins) are involved in plant defense mechanisms against environmental stresses, like high temperatures or excessive solar radiation [1,2]. Among other factors, they modulate light absorption, which reduces photoinhibition processes in photosynthetic tissues [1]. Therefore, the identification of grapevine cultivars with an increased content on leaf epidermal flavonoids arises as a potential avenue to improve grapevine tolerance to some detrimental environmental stresses.

Flavescence dorée (FD) poses a significant threat to grapevine health, with the American grapevine leafhopper, Scaphoideus titanus, serving as the primary vector.