Use of a new, miniaturized, low-cost spectral sensor to estimate and map the vineyard water status from a mobile 

Context and purpose of the study – In Valpolicella area (Verona – Italy) Vitis vinifera cv. Corvina is the main wine variety to obtain, after grape withering, Amarone wine: this study was carried out in order to compare two different grape dehydration conditions with the aim of verifying the final composition of Corvina dried grapes and the organoleptic profile of corresponding Amarone wine.

Growing fungus-tolerant cultivars (PIWIs) reduces the need of fungicide use by 50-80 %. PIWIs have the potential to address climate change adaptation and mitigation simultaneously.

The landscape is defined by the European convention of the landscape (Florence, October 20, 2000) like part of the territory as perceived by the populations, whose character results from the action of natural and/or human factors and their interrelationships. This convention is based on the contribution cultural, ecological, environmental, social of the landscapes and aims at a reinforcement of the tools of protection and valorization in particular in the agricultural policies, of regional planning and town planning. Moreover, it encourages a step of identification and qualification of the landscapes and underlines the need for developing the sensitizing and the training of the actors concerned.

Dolcetto (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the traditionally cultivated varieties in Piedmont (north-east Italy). Dolcetto wines have long been associated with local consumption and they are little known internationally. In particular, the Ovada area (south-east Piedmont), even if it represents a small share of the regional PDO Dolcetto production, is one of the oldest and vocated territory, giving wine also suitable for aging. In this study, the basic composition and phenolic content of Dolcetto grapes for Ovada DOCG wines have been investigated in three different vintages (2020-2022), as well as the main aspects of the derived commercial and experimental wines (basic parameters, phenolics, volatile compounds, sensory properties).

New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs) have the potential to revolutionize the genetic improvement of grapevine. However, the practical application of these techniques is limited by several challenges, such as the difficulty in generating embryogenic calluses, maintaining their competence during in vitro cultivation, and regenerating plants without defects. To overcome these challenges, we conducted a study to test the effect of two treatments on callus cultures derived from different grapevine varieties, with and without embryogenic competence. The tested substances were Silver Thiosulphate (STS) an ethylene inhibitor, and Salicylic Acid (SA), an elicitor with different effects depending on the concentration of use beyond the ethylene inhibitor activity.