TCA – A status report on South African cork closures

Grapevine response to water deficit has been extensively studied. Nevertheless, debate still exists regarding some physiology adoption under drought

Grape pomace (GP) is a winemaking by-product particularly rich in (poly)phenols and dietary fiber, which are the main active compounds responsible for its health-promoting effects. GP-derived products have been proposed to manage cardiovascular risk factors, including endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and obesity. Studies on the potential impact of GP on gut health are much more recent. However, it is suggested that, to some extent, this activity of GP as a cardiometabolic health-promoting ingredient would begin in the gastrointestinal tract as GP components (i.e., (poly)phenols and fiber) undergo extensive catabolism, mainly by the action of the intestinal microbiota, that gives rise to low-molecular-weight bioactive compounds that can be absorbed and utilized by the body.

Due to the central role of the ripening timing in the evaluation of the varietal response to the environmental resources, a method to manage maturation curves has been developed. The method produces an index of veraison precocity and overcomes several methodological problems, like the visual evaluation of the veraison point and the multi-annual and multi-varieties data processing. It is based on a statistical and mathematical processing of the sugar ripening curves.

Proper soil health assessments are crucial for sustainable cropland. Among the widely employed approaches, evaluating nematode community structure is particularly suitable. Traditionally, the taxonomic characterization of soil nematodes has relied on time-consuming morphology-based methods requiring experienced experts. However, molecular tools like high-throughput sequencing have emerged as efficient alternatives. In this study, we performed a metataxonomic analysis of soil samples collected from 57 vineyards in the DOCa Rioja region of Northern Spain, focusing on the impact of organic viticulture and cover cropping compared to integrated pest management (IPM) and tilling practices.

In California, little training in sprayer calibration or pesticide drift management is required to apply pesticides. Yet, there is a need to maximize pesticide efficacy and minimize drift. Therefore, our team is developing a training course on airblast application best practices. We distributed a survey to identify current practices and used importance-performance analysis to interpret responses to the importance of spray related topics and satisfaction with previous training.