From soil to canopy, the diversity of adaptation strategies  to abiotic constraints in grapevine

The maturation patterns process has been very studied. In particular the modelization of the sugars and titratable acidity during the ripening period was an important approach, in particular for the prediction of harvest date (Barillere et al., 1988; Jourion et al.,1987; Maujean et al., 1983; Scienza, 1989). In Oltrepò Pavese, the widest viticultural district of Lombardy – Northern Italy – (about 15000 hectares), grape maturation trends shows high variability, due to the large variation in environmental characteristics of vineyards (altitude, exposure, soil type, mesoclimate) and to “cultivar x environment” interaction.

Although vitamins stand as major actors to yeasts prime metabolic pathways, their significance in oenology and winemaking remains rather obscure nowadays, having been mostly unexplored for several decades.

Climate change is resulting in more dry and hot summers, accelerating grape ripening and increasing berry sugars concentration. This results in wines with a higher alcohol content, which has a negative impact on wine quality, as well as, on consumer health. Agronomic practices that minimize these effects on berry composition and, consequently, on wine quality must be defined. In this work, different management practices have been assessed on rainfed ‘Monastrell’ grapevines in Jumilla (Murcia, Spain) from 2021 to 2023 vintages. Mulching, shading, application of kaolin and different types of pruning were evaluated, among others field adaptation practices.

Context and purpose of the study. The breeding of PIWI varieties has a long tradition in the Czech Republic. In the last two years, 9 new PIWI varieties have been registered.

The use of grapevine genetic diversity is a way to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on viticulture systems. Leaf epidermal flavonoids (including flavonols and anthocyanins) are involved in plant defense mechanisms against environmental stresses, like high temperatures or excessive solar radiation [1,2]. Among other factors, they modulate light absorption, which reduces photoinhibition processes in photosynthetic tissues [1]. Therefore, the identification of grapevine cultivars with an increased content on leaf epidermal flavonoids arises as a potential avenue to improve grapevine tolerance to some detrimental environmental stresses.