Genetic variation among wild grapes native to Japan

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.

Grapevine pruning is one of the most important practices in the vineyards. Winegrowers use it to provide the vines the shape needed, or to maintain it once achieved, and also to balance vegetative growth and fruit production. In the last decades, careless pruning has been blamed, among other factors, as responsible of the vineyard decay that is been observed even in young vines. However, to our knowledge, there is a lack of systematic research trying to elucidate to which extent the pruning method used affects plant development or its susceptibility to grapevine trunk diseases (GTD). Within this context, the aim of this work is to study the influence of different pruning method strategies on the development of field-planted young vines.

Implementing alternative grapevine systems that incorporate sustainable strategies and innovative farming practices is essential. However, we lack tools for measuring the impact of these new practices on the overall sustainability of vineyards. DEXi PM Vigne (Gary et al., 2015) is a tool developed for ex ante assessment of the sustainability of grapevine cropping systems, from the plot to the farm scale. In the present study, we focused on implementing new strategies of integrated crop protection management with limited pesticide use in vineyards.

The impact of climate change is noticeable in the present weather, making water scarcity the most immediate mediator reducing the performance and viability of crops, including grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). The present study developed a system (hardware, firmware, and software) for the determination of plant water use through changes in weight through a period. The aim is to measure the differences in grapevine water consumption in response to climate change (+4oC and 700 ppm) under controlled conditions. The results reveal a correlation between daily plant consumption rates and reference evapotranspiration (ETo).

Esca, a severe trunk disease affecting vineyards, is caused by fungal pathogens that induce wood necrosis and decay, leaf symptoms, yield losses, and potentially a rapid death of the vine. The prevalence of this disease varies across years, regions, cultivars, and plot ages. Despite its significance in understanding and predicting dieback risk in different vineyards, the role of climate in trunk diseases remains a relatively unexplored research area. While some studies have demonstrated the impact of certain climatic conditions on the prevalence of the disease, they often focus on a limited number of plots and yield conflicting results.We conducted a statistical analysis, using a Bayesian approach on a national database comprising prevalence data of esca from over 500 different plots in France, spanning the years 2003 to 2022 and encompassing various cultivars.