terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Congress on Grapevine and Wine Sciences 9 2ICGWS-2023 9 The weak role of organic mulches in shaping bacterial communities in grapevine

The weak role of organic mulches in shaping bacterial communities in grapevine

Abstract

The interest in sustainable and ecologic agricultural practices in grapevine has grown significantly in recent years in the context of ecological transition. Organic mulches are treatments that support the circular economy and positively affect the soil and the plant. They are an alternative to herbicides and other conventional practices since they may influence soil moisture, erosion, structure and weed control. However, their effects on the soil and must microbiota remain unknown. Understanding the relationship between vineyard management and soil and plant microbiota may help to choose the optimal practices, reducing environmental impact and improving wine quality. We aimed to evaluate the effects of five soil management treatments on soil and must bacterial communities along three consecutive years using next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. The study was performed in two vineyards of the same region (La Rioja, Spain). Two conventional treatments (Herbicide use and Under-row Tillage) were compared with three organic mulches applied on the vine row (Grapevine Pruning Debris, Spent Mushrooms Compost and Straw). The main factors affecting the soil bacterial community were year followed by location. The treatment effect on soil microbiota was weak and could only be found when analyzing each year and location individually. In particular, the bacterial communities of the conventional practices clustered in all years and locations. However, organic mulches were only grouped in the third year of study at both locations. Besides, the treatments did not affect the must bacterial communities and were driven by year and location. These results show that the practices have a weak effect compared to year or location and that their impact is detected in the soil but not in the must. Therefore, organic mulches could be a sustainable viticulture alternative. Moreover, the organic mulch effect has been enhanced over the years and farmers should use it in the long term.

DOI:

Publication date: October 3, 2023

Issue: ICGWS 2023

Type: Article

Authors

David Labarga1*, Andreu Mairata1, Miguel Puelles1, María de Toro3, Jordi Tronchoni2, Alicia Pou1

1Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino, CSIC, Gobierno de la Rioja, Universidad de La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, Spain
2Faculty of Health Sciences, Valencian International University, 46002 Valencia, Spain
3Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), 26006, Logroño, Spain

Contact the author*

Keywords

microbiota, vineyard, herbicides, soil management and agriculture

Tags

2ICGWS | ICGWS | ICGWS 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Understanding the impact of rising temperatures due to climate change on aromatic compositions in Malbec wines from Mendoza, Argentina

Mendoza is one of Argentina’s most important and outstanding wine regions producing the renowned Malbec wines due to its optimal soil and weather conditions. However, the effects of 21st-century climate change would negatively impact Malbec wines quality. This study investigated the effect of temperature increase and the impact of plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) used to mitigate the negative effect of temperature increase on Malbec wines aromatic composition through GC-MS. Four treatments were applied on vines at field condition: Control, Control + 3 ºC, ABA and ABA + 3 ºC.

Evaluation of physiological properties of grapevine clones of ‘Tempranillo’ and ‘Graciano’ in DOCa Rioja (Spain)

In order to avoid the loss of grapevine intra-varietal diversity of DOCa Rioja grape varieties, Regional Government of La Rioja established a germplasm bank with more than 1.600 accessions, whose origin lies in the prospecting and sampling of ancient vineyards located throughout the whole region. 30 clones of Tempranillo and 13 clones of Graciano were preselected and multiplied in a new vineyard for further observations. The aim of this work is to describe the first results from the physiological characterization by an optical sensor of these preselected clones, which constitute the base of a new clonal selection that aims to increase the range of available certified clones and to improve the adaptation of these varieties to future objectives and environmental conditions.

Wine racking in the winery and the use of inerting gases

The O2 uptake in the different winemaking processes is generally considered to be negative for the sensory characteristics of white and rosé wines. Wine racking is a critical point of O2 uptake, as the large surface area of the wine exposed during this operation and the inability to maintain an effective inert gas blanket over it.
The objective was to study O2 uptake during the racking of a model wine without using inert gases and to compare it with the purging of the destination tank with different inert gases.

Chemical profiling and sensory analysis of wines from resistant hybrid grape cultivars vs conventional wines

Recently, there has been a shift toward sustainable wine production, according to EU policy (F2F and Green Deal), to reduce pesticide usage, improve workplace health and safety, and prevent the impacts of climate change. These trends have gained the interest of consumers and winemakers. The cultivation of disease resistant hybrid grape cultivars (DRHGC), known as ‘PIWI’ grapes can help with these objectives [1]. This study aimed to profile white and red wines produced from DRHGC in South Tyrol (Italy). Wines produced from DRHGCs were compared with conventional wines produced by the same wineries. The measured parameters were residual sugars, organic acids, alcohol content, pigments and other phenolics by LC-QqQ/MS, colorimetric indexes (CIELab); and volatile profiles (HS-SPME-GCxGC-ToF/MS [2]).

Oxidability of wines made from Spanish minority grape varieties

The phenolic profile of a wine plays an essential role in its oxidative capacity and in both white and red wines it defines its shelf life[1]. The study of minority varieties to produce wines with peculiar characteristics necessarily includes the phenolic and oxidative characterization of the wines produced. This paper presents the study of wines made from 24 minority and majority white and red grape varieties, focusing on phenolic characteristics (total phenols, slightly polymerized phenols, highly polymerized phenols, anthocyanins…), color, as well as parameters related to the oxidability of the wines and their capacity to consume oxygen [2].