Nitrogen forms and Iron deficiency: how do Grapevine rootstocks responses change?

Inter-row soil tillage in vineyards, stimulates vigor and production due to the absence of competition for water and nutrients, however negatively affects organic matter content, soil erosion, and compaction, resulting in reduced fertility. In this study, we investigated the effects of different cover crop management approaches, including cultivation type and termination timing, on the physiological and productive responses of a Glera vineyard.
The experimental trial was conducted in Precenicco (UD) from 2019 to 2021. A commercial mixture for autumn cover cropping was sown in alternating rows, and the sowing pattern was changed each year.

Grapes are one of the world’s primary fruit crops, and pruning activities generate high amounts of annual wood wastes [1]. These pruning shoots contain valuable phenolic compounds and could have numerous potential applications [1,2]. Consequently, the aim of this work was to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of vine pruning residues with potential as enological additives. For this purpose, grapevine shoots from 12 varieties grown in Chile were collected during the winter of 2021.

Contamination problems arising from the use of pesticides in viticulture have raised concerns. One of the alternatives to reduce contamination is the use of elicitors, molecules capable of stimulating the natural defences of plants, promoting the production of phenolic compounds (PC) that offer protection against biotic and abiotic stress. Previous studies on Cabernet-Sauvignon seedlings demonstrated that foliar application of elicitors methyl jasmonate (MeJ) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) increased proteins and PC involved in grapevine defence mechanisms. However, no trials had been conducted on Monastrell seedlings, a major winegrape variety in Spain.

Climate change has numerous detrimental consequences and creates new challenges for viticulture around the world. Transitory or constant high temperatures frequently associated with an excess of sunlight (UV) can cause a variety of physiological disorders, such as sunburn. Diverse environmental factors and the plant’s response mechanisms to stress determine the symptoms. Grapevine berry sunburn leads to a drastic reduction in yield, and may eventually decline berry quality. Consequently, this poses a significant risk to the winegrowers.

One of the most important effects of climate change in wine-growing areas is the advance of phenological stages, especially concerning early berry ripening. In the hottest seasons, this results in a lack of synchrony between sugar and phenolic ripeness. In order to cope with this fact, a general effort is being made by researchers and growers aiming at delaying ripening through different strategies. One of the proposed approaches is the application of elicitors. This study aims to assess the effect at the transcriptomic level of application of three elicitors (Vitalfit, Fruitel, and Protone) in Tempranillo.