Application of DEXI PM Vigne sustainability tool to the assessment of alternative vineyard protection strategies

One of the main aspects of Climate Change is the increase of temperatures during summer and grape maturity period. Physiological processes are influenced by these high temperatures and result in grapes with higher sugar concentration, less acidity and less anthocyanin content among other quality changes. One strategy to deal with the climate change effects is the implementation of late winter pruning to alter the effect of high temperatures during key periods by delays in maturity time.

Vine growth circumstances are becoming warmer and drier because of climate change. Higher temperatures advance ripening to a point in the season less conducive to the production of fine wine, while drought reduces yields (Van Leeuwen et al., 2019). Several wine-producing regions around the world have already recognized threats to their viticultural viability (Santos et al., 2020). An economical and cost-effective strategy for adaptation is the employment of late-ripening, drought-resistant plant material (varieties, clones, and rootstocks).

The disruptive effect exerted by high-power ultrasound (US) on plant cell walls, natural barriers to the diffusion of compounds of interest during the maceration of red wines, is established as the reason behind the chromatic improvement that its treatment causes. However, sometimes this improvement is not observed, especially with short maceration times. The presence of a high quantity of suspended cell wall material, which formation is favored by the sonication, could be the cause of this lack of positive results since this cell wall material has a high affinity for phenolic compounds.

Understanding grapevine molecular processes and the underlying defence responses is vital for developing sustainable disease control strategies. Lipid signalling pathways, involving the synthesis and degradation of lipid molecules, have emerged as a key regulator in plant defence against pathogens. This study aims to elucidate the role of fatty acids and lipid signalling in grapevine’s defence response to P. viticola infection. The expression of lipid metabolism-related as well as lipid signalling genes was analysed, by qPCR, in three grapevine genotypes: Chardonnay (susceptible), Regent (tolerant) with Rpv3-1 resistance loci, and Sauvignac (resistant) harbouring a pyramid of Rpv12 and Rpv3-1 resistance loci.

Climate change is altering water balances, thereby compromising water availability for crops. In grapevine, the strategic selection of genotypes more tolerant to soil water deficit can improve the resilience of the vineyard under this scenario. Previous studies demonstrated that root anatomical and morphological traits determine vine performance under water deficit conditions. Therefore, 13 ungrafted rootstock genotypes, 6 commercial (420 A, 41 B, Evex 13-5, Fercal, 140 Ru y 110 R), and 7 from new breeding programs (RG2, RG3, RG4, RG7, RG8, RG9 and RM2) were evaluated in pots during 2021 and 2022.