Physiological means to curb the enthusiasm of viruses from infecting grapevines  

Developing technologies that help vines survive and produce in quantity and quality within current times is mandatory. In this sense, in the 2021/2022 agricultural harvest, the influence of the foliar application of seaweed – Laminaria japonica was studied, aiming at productivity and quality of the must in the ‘Merlot’ grape. In the city of “Santana do Livramento”, “Rio Grande do Sul” (RS), Brazil; in a 15-year-old commercial vineyard of ‘Merlot’ clone ENTAV-INRA® 347, grafted onto ‘SO4’ rootstock, the following treatments were applied on 6 occasions: No treatment (control) and; Foliar application of Laminaria japonica seaweed (commercial product: Exal (ALAS), 2 kg ha-1).

This study aims at evaluating the effects of different refermentation methods (Martinotti/Charmat vs. Classic) on the chemical composition, aroma profile and sensory characteristics of Ribolla Gialla sparkling wines; furthermore, certain winemaking practices (skin contact and use of pectolytic enzymes) were investigated considering the extraction of varietal aromas and aroma precursors. METHODS: Sparkling wines were produced at pilot-plant scale. Concerning refermentation methods, traditional Martinotti (MB – 30 days length), extended Martinotti (ML) with 4 months of aging on lees and Classic method (CL) with 11 months of aging on lees were compared; in a second trial, skin contact (MM), enzyme addition on must also subjected to maceration (ME), and enzyme addition on base wine (VE) were evaluated. All experimental trials were performed in triplicate. Basic chemical composition, varietal (terpenes and C13-norisoprenoids in free and bound form) and non-varietal aroma compounds were evaluated by LLE-GCMS analysis; finally, sensory analysis was also performed, by descriptive testing.

Wine grape pomace quantitatively and qualitatively represents the most important fraction of wine waste. Namely, this by-product makes ~ 20% of the total mass of vinified grapes, and it is characterized with high concentrations of polyphenolic antioxidants, as well as grape seed oil. Hence, valorization of wine pomace, as an alternative to traditionally employed disposal, has drown considerable interest in recent years. Earlier studies were mostly focused on the extraction of phenolics, while mechanisms enhancing the extraction of lipid fraction from grape pomace, as well as their impact on the grape seed oil quality are far less investigated.

The objective of this work is to study the vulnerability of vineyard soil to compaction.

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.