Functional characterisation of genetic elements regulating bunch morphology in grapevine

Climate change is here. One of the main consequences is an increase in the frequency and severity of abiotic stresses which mostly occur in a combined manner. Grapevine, which grows in a large diversity of pedo-climatic conditions, has presumably evolved different mechanisms to allow this widespread adaptation. Harnessing the genetic diversity in these mechanisms will be central to the future of viticulture in many traditional wine growing areas. The interactions between the scion and the rootstock through grafting add an additional level of diversity and adaptive potential to explore.
At the physiological level, these mechanisms are related to processes such as root system development and functioning (water and nutrient uptake), interactions with the soil microbiome, gas exchange regulation, hydraulic properties along the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, reserve storage, short and long distance signaling mechanisms and plasticity for some of these traits.

Agroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to redesign and manage food and agricultural systems, promoting agroecosystems with the necessary biological, socio-economic, and institutional diversity and alignment to support greater efficiency. Thus, several studies have been carried out at promoting the adoption of more agroecological practices among farmers and a wider audience concerning soil conservation and health maintenance.

Modern viticulture in Croatia and the world is mainly based on the grapevine varieties susceptible to various diseases and pests, which leads to unsustainable use of large amounts of pesticides. The sustainable development of viticulture in the future will only be possible by increasing the resistance of the grapevine through the development of new resistant varieties. Breeding programs have been launched in the leading wine-growing countries with the aim of developing resistant varieties possessing high quality level. Coratia is rich in in native grapevine varieties that are the basis of wine production, and are not included in the breeding programs of other countries.

Vineyard canopy features such canopy porosity and fruit exposure influenced microclimate, fungal disease incidence and grape composition. An objective, rapid and non-invasive method to assess and map the canopy status is needed to apply in precision viticulture. A new method for canopy status assessment and mapping based on non-invasive machine vision was applied in commercial vineyards in this work.

The « Condado de Huelva » Registered Appellation Origin Mark (RAOM) is located in the Province of Huelva, in the southwest of Andalucía (Spain), being limited by the Atlantic Ocean and the Province of Sevilla. « Zalema », a white high productive grapevine plant is its major cultivar. The predominant rootstocks used are « Rupestris du Lot », « Castel 196-17 », « Couderc 161-49 », Couderc 33-09 », « Richter 110 » and « Millardet 41-B ». Traditionally, « Zalema » cv. has been dedicated to the elaboration of amber, bouquet-flavoured wines and in the last years mainly to young, fruit-flavoured white table wines.