Investigation on harvesting period choices for correct interpretation of experimental results

The favorable effect of symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has been known and studied since the 60s. Nowadays, many companies took the chance to start promoting and selling commercial inoculants of AMF, in order to be used as biofertilizers and encourage sustainable biological agriculture. However, the positive effect of these commercial biofertilizers on plant growth is not always demonstrated, especially under field conditions. In this study, we used a commercial inoculum on newly planted grapevines of a local cultivar grafted on a common rootstock R110. We followed the physiological status of vines, growth and productivity and functional biodiversity of soil bacteria during the first and second years of 20 inoculated with commercial inoculum bases on Rhizophagus irregularis and Funeliformis mosseaeAMF at field planting time and 20 non-inoculated control plants. All the parameters measured showed a neutral to negative effect on plant growth and production. The inoculated plants always presented lower values of photosynthesis, growth and grape production, although in some cases the differences did not reach statistical significance. On the contrary, the inoculation supposed an increase of the bacterial functional diversity, although the differences were not statistically significant either. Several studies show that the effect of inoculation with AMF is context-dependent. The non-favorable effects are probably due to inoculation ineffectiveness under complex field conditions and/or that, under certain conditions, AMF presence may be a parasitic association. This puts into question the effectiveness of its application in the field. Therefore, it is recommended to only resort to this type of biofertilizer when the cultivation conditions require it (e.g., very low previous microbial diversity, foreseeable stress due to drought, salinity, or lack of nutrients) and not as a general fertilization practice.

Des expérimentations sur Gamay ont été réalisées en Beaujolais de 2000 à 2006 sur 10 parcelles d’AOC différentes. De nombreuses mesures ont été effectuées à différents stades (vigne, baies récoltées, vinification et bouteille avec ou sans vieillissement). Ces mesures sont également de natures différentes (données phénologiques, analytiques, dégustation). Des analyses de la composition des sols sont également disponibles.

For the purpose of producing predicate wines in northern part of Croatia, grapes are traditionally left on the vine unpicked. However, grapes on the vine are exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions that affect rapid rotting and attacked by birds. To eliminate the mentioned risks, the grapes can be picked and placed in a protected space (loft, greenhouse, etc.) suitable for drying. This study presents the results of research on withering grapes of the ‘Moscato giallo’ variety in two tretment: sun drying (under covered terrace) and drying in the shade (loft). The following quality parameters were monitored: mass of grapes, sugar concentration, content of total acids, pH, content of organic acids.

vine plant material is one of the major factors of terroir. The vine numbers over 1,000 species, of which the main cultivated species, Vitis vinifera, includes some 6,000 varieties. For the last forty years, selection has been carried out on these, mainly through clonal selection. However, today, only 300 varieties present one or more clones. A dozen varieties are considered as international. The extreme requirements of selection, in terms of diseases, provoke the elimination of the majority of selected plants. This approach to selection is not thorough because it focuses mainly on elimination of virosis and phytoplasma diseases.

Nel 2009 sono stati prelevati e analizzati mediante XRF (X-ray fluorescence) campioni di suolo, in vigneti sperimentali siti nelle province di Vicenza e di Ancona. Sono stati inoltre determinati in 2 campioni di mosto e 2 di vino delle varietà Verdicchio e Refosco dal peduncolo rosso, ed in 2 di uva Refosco dal peduncolo rosso, gli elementi in traccia mediante ICP-MS (Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry).