Adsorption of tetraconazole by organic residues and vineyard organically-amended soils 

Grapevine resilience to climate change has become one of the most pressing topics in the Viticulture & Enology field. Vineyard health demands understanding the mechanisms that explain the direct and indirect interactions between environmental stressors. The current climate change scenario, where drought and heat-wave are more frequent and intense, strongly demands improving our knowledge of environmental stresses. During a heatwave, the ambient temperature rises above the plant’s average tolerance threshold and, generally, above 35 oC plant’s adaptation to heat stress is activated.

Ozone is a potent oxidizing compound that quickly decomposes into oxygen without residues. Previous works reported that ozone is not only a disinfectant that directly harms the pathogens of the vine but also activates systemic defense systems in the plant by activating oxidative stress. We assume these systemic defense mechanisms are essential to the vines’ resistance to downy and powdery mildew (Plasmopara viticola & Erysiphe necator, respectively). The goals of the research are to examine the effect of spraying with ozone water on the plant’s resistance against the mentioned pathogens as well as to characterize the metabolic profile of the plants treated with ozone as well as physiological characteristics in the vines such as the level of Photosynthesis and crop yield. Vines in the vineyard sprayed with ozone water at concentrations of 2 and 4 PPM weekly and biweekly, untreated control & conventional spray. Leaves were taken from vines 2,4,7,9 and 11 days after exposure to ozone and inoculated with the pathogens.

Plant roots fulfil important functions as they are responsible for the acquisition of water and nutrients, for anchorage and stability, for interaction with symbionts and, in some cases, for the storage of carbohydrates. These functions are associated with the Root System Architecture (RSA, i.e. the form and the spatial arrangement of the roots in the soil). The RSA results from several biological processes (elongation, ramification, mortality…) genetically determined but with high structural plasticity.

Climate changes have important consequences in viticulture, heat waves accompanied by periods of drought are encountered more and more frequently. This study aims to evaluate the single and combined effect of water deficit and high temperatures on the thiol precursors biosynthesis in Sauvignon blanc grapes. For this purpose, a protocol has been developed for the cultivation of berries on a solid substrate. The berries, collected at three different times starting from veraison and grown in vitro, were subjected to 4 different treatments: control (C), water stress (WS), heat stress (HS), combined water and heat stress (WSHS). Water stress was simulated by adding abscisic acid to the culture medium, while different temperatures, respectively 25°C and 35°C, were managed with two illuminated climatic chambers.

Nitrogen (N) is quite important nutrient in grapevine development and must quality, but under Mediterranean climatic conditions, available soil water (ASW) during grapevine development can also influence vigour and must quality. The aim was to determine the influence of soil nitrate (NO3-) availability on N foliar, yield, and must quality in vineyards with similar available water holding capacity (AWC). For this purpose, four cv. Tempranillo (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyards were selected. All of them are placed in Uruñuela municipality (La Rioja, Spain), separated less than 2.5 km and in a slope <1 %, in soils with similar soil chemistry properties and with similar rooting depth (ranging between 105 cm and 110 cm).