Optimized protocol for high-quality RNA extraction from grape tissues using sorbitol pre-wash

The Spotted lanternfly (SLF), first detected in the U.S. in 2014, is an invasive phloem-feeding planthopper that poses a growing threat to grape and wine production in the U.S. In Pennsylvania, where it was first detected, reductions in grapevine production and fruit quality have been reported by commercial growers. Recent advances have begun to elucidate how SLF affects grapevine physiology and resource allocation, but no research has identified how SLF affects wine chemical composition and quality. Documented reductions in fruit sugar allocation due to heavy SLF phloem-feeding may have downstream effects on wine fermentation dynamics. Additionally, secondary metabolic responses stimulated by SLF may also influence berry chemical composition. The present study investigated SLF-mediated effects on wine composition through analysis of the volatile composition of wines produced from white- and red-fruited varieties of different Vitis parentage (e.g., Vitis vinifera vs. interspecific hybrids) following prolonged exposure to adult SLF phloem-feeding.

The aim of this study was to evaluate how the different tank materials could affect the chemical and sensory characteristics of a Sangiovese red wine during one-year aging.

The table grape industry in Europe is undergoing significant changes. For instance, in Italy, the national register of vine varieties was established in 1969, and since then, many varieties of table grapes have been registered. In the first thirty years, from 1969 to 1999, 62 seeded and 24 seedless varieties were registered. In the subsequent period, from 2000 to the present day, 23 seeded varieties and 99 seedless varieties were registered.

Since the emergence of phylloxera, grafting has been the most used propagation method in viticulture. Despite all the improvement measures implemented in the nurseries, it is frequent that graft success rates vary depending on the nursery process and scion/rootstock combinations. The reasons behind this unsatisfactory behaviour are still unknown and can be diverse, although carbohydrate reserves might be hypothesised to be crucial, since callus, root, and new tissue formation will be built based on them. In order to identify the effect of carbohydrates on grafting success, nine combinations were established based on the starch content in grapevine scionwoods (cv. Tempranillo clone VN69) and rootstocks cuttings (110 Richter clone 237) used for grafting: Low (L), Medium (M), High (H).

The use of cover crops under the vines might be an alternative to the use of herbicides or tillage, improving grapevine quality and soil characteristics. The aim of this research was to study the implications of different management strategies of the soil under the vines (herbicide, cultivation or cover crops) on grapevine growth, water and nutritional status, gas exchange parameters and belowground microbial communities.
The experimental design consisted in 4 treatments applied on 35L-potted Tempranillo vegetative grapevines with 10 replicates each grown in an open-top greenhouse in 2022 and 2023. Treatments included two cover crop species (Trifolium fragiferum and Bromus repens), herbicide (glyphosate al 36%) and an untreated control.