Caratterizzazione delle produzioni vitivinicole dell’ area del Barolo: un’esperienza pluridisciplinare triennale (5)

Sauvignon blanc was first planted in Marlborough, New Zealand in the mid-1970s. Since that time, Marlborough has gained an international reputation by producing the definitive wine style of that grape variety.

The fungicidal effect of UV-C radiation (100-280 nm wavelength) is well known, but its applicability for the control of pathogenic molds of grapes is conditioned by its effect on the host and by the risks inherent in its handling[1].
As an alternative, the effect in vitro of UV-B radiation (280-315 nm) on the main pathogenic molds of grapes has been studied: Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum and Rhizopus stolonifer.

Understanding the physiological and molecular bases of grapevine responses to mild to moderate water deficits is fundamental to optimize vineyard irrigation management and identify the most suitable varieties. In Mediterranean regions, the higher frequency of heat waves and droughts highlights the importance of precision irrigation to meet vine water demands and demonstrates the necessity for a deeper understanding of the different physiological responses among varieties under water stress. In this context, previous reports show an interplay between stomatal regulation of transpiration and changes in leaf hydraulic conductivity, also with the involvement of aquaporins (AQPs), particularly under water stress. However, how those signaling mechanisms are regulated in different grapevine varieties along phenological phases is unclear.

Cover crops are increasingly considered in Mediterranean climate vineyards due to a combination of agronomic and regulatory considerations. However, the soil under the vines themselves is typically kept free of vegetation by mechanical plowing or herbicide spraying. Taking into account that these practices may convey a number of non-favourable economic and environmental implications, and the fact that drip irrigation can ease the use of cover crops under the vines, the aim of this work was to evaluate the agronomic implications and the changes in soil physical and biological properties caused by an under-vine cover crop in a Mediterranean area.

A great variability in the amount of polysaccharides recovered at the end of fermentations carried out by pure cultures of 89 non-Saccharomyces yeasts was observed. The utilization of the best polysaccharides producers in mixed cultures with S. cerevisiae resulted in considerable increases in the final concentration of polysaccharides and showed a strain dependent effect on glycerol production as compared to pure culture of S. cerevisiae.