Assessing reserve nitrogen at dormancy for predicting spring nitrogen status in Chardonnay grapevines

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used to monitor canopy structure and vineyard performance. Compared with traditional remote sensing platforms (e.g. aircraft and satellite), UAVs offer a higher operational flexibility and can acquire ultra-high resolution images in formats such as true color red, green and blue (RGB) and multispectral. Using photogrammetry, 3D vineyard models and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) maps can be created from UAV images and used to study the structure and health of grapevine canopies. However, there is a lack of comparison between UAV-based images and ground-based measurements, such as leaf area index (LAI) and canopy porosity.

The accurate estimation of yield is a fundamental for suitable viticulture, playing a pivotal role in the planning of logistics, the allocation of resources and the formulation of commercial strategies.

The wide ampelographic heritage of the Italian wine grape varieties represents a richness in terms of biodiversity and potential market value.

Global changes in temperature patterns necessitate the development of viticultural adaptation strategies. One promising approach involves modifying the training system and elevating trunk height. This study explored the potential of raising the vine trunk as an adaptive strategy to counteract the effects of increasing temperatures and delay ripening. Thermal conditions, radiation levels, and must composition were measured at different heights (10 and 150 cm) in a commercial vineyard of the minority variety Maturana Blanca, trained on a vertical cordon.

Terpenes are responsible for flavors and aromas of grapes, however, they also protect from radiation, participate in biotic stress and antioxidant mechanisms. The phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) mediates many of these stress responses and has been associated with increased terpene content in berries. Here, we generated transcriptomic data of Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Gamay’ cells treated with MeJA (100 μM) and cyclodextrins (50 μM) to understand these responses. Ontology analysis revealed that up-regulated genes (URGs) were enriched in jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signaling terms, as expected. Inspection of transcription factors (TFs) among URGs allowed us to study uncharacterized TFs.