Entomopathogenic nematodes application for controlling Lobesia botrana in grapevine and their impact on grapevine quality 

Grapevines are grown mainly as grafts worldwide, but the rootstocks most commonly used were selected between the late 19th and early 20th centuries and are based on reduced genetic diversity[1]. In the context of climate change, it is indeed urgent to diversify the range of rootstocks with genotypes much more adapted to drier environments, than the existing ones[2]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of new genetic resources for grapevine rootstock breeding programs. For this purpose, 12 American and Asian wild Vitis species (3 to 5 accessions per species = 50 accessions) were evaluated for their rooting ability and drought response.

In a context of sustainable agriculture, “agroecological immunity” is an emerging concept to reduce the use of chemical pesticides to protect crops against pathogens. This alternative strategy aims to combine different levers including the use of “bio”solutions. These include biocontrol products, some of which being plant defense elicitors, as well as products authorized in organic farming such as copper or sulfur. In vineyards, depending on climate conditions, powdery and downy mildews can be devastating diseases.

Ultra-High Pressure Homogenization (UHPH) is an innovative, efficient and non-thermal technology that can be applied at different stages in winemaking in order to reduce or avoid the use of sulphites. During 2022 vintage, a batch of Xarel·lo must was processed by UHPH at 300 MPa with an inlet temperature (Ti) of 4 ºC. In order to verify the influence of the UHPH treatment in wine characteristics, alcoholic fermentations with this must (UHPH) were carried out and compared with a control batch (without SO2 addition (C)) and a sulphited batch, in which 60 mg/L of total SO2 (SO2) were added.

Grape skin has a barrier and protective function in grapes. Cell wall of grape skins is mainly composed of polysaccharides such as pectins, celulloses and hemicelluloses and structural proteins. Terroir, variety and changes during ripening can affect the content of polysaccharides in grapes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of polysaccharides (PS) in grapes along the ripening process. Three red grape varieties were studied: Garnacha (G), Tempranillo (T) and Prieto Picudo (PP).

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.