Somatic embryogenesis and polyploidy in grapevine: morphological shoot and leaf traits variations

The influence of two pre-veraison and post-veraison regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies on yield and grape quality was analyzed during a two year period for mature grapevines (cv. Monastrell) in Southeastern of Spain

Several factors like vineyard site, climate, grape variety, ripeness, physical health of the grapes and pest management influence the populations of indigenous yeasts on grapes and later on in spontaneous fermentations.

Sustainable viticulture and winemaking continue to represent huge challenges, where a better knowledge about the functional role of biodiversity in the vineyard and wine ecosystems is required, as well as the varieties plasticity. Particular attention should be devoted to the spatial and temporal interactions between authorized or recommended varieties for a specific demarcated region and clime and vineyard conditions (such as soil type, orientation of the lines, age of the vine, density of planting, harvesting practices, among others).

(-)-Rotundone, an oxygenated sesquiterpene, is a potent odorant molecule with a characteristic spicy aroma existing in various plants including grapes1. It is considered as a significant compound notably in wines and grapes because of its low sensory threshold (16 ng L-1 in red wine, 8 ng L-1 in water) and aroma properties. (-)-Rotundone was first identified in red wine made from the grape cultivar Syrah (regionally called Shiraz) in Australia1, and then it was found in several grape varieties such as Duras, Grüner Veltliner, Schioppettino and Vespolina from Europe2, 3. Several environmental factors affecting the accumulation of (-)-Rotundone during the grape maturation, were reported such as ambient temperature4, soil properties and topography5, soil moisture from irrigation and light exposure in the bunch zone by leaf removal2.

Breeding for complex quantitative traits remains a major challenge in perennial crop systems, particularly for traits related to water use efficiency (WUE), which are strongly influenced by environmental variation and difficult to phenotype at scale.