Optimization of in vitro establishment of grapevine varieties for fast micropropagation 

Wine is one of the most consumed and appreciated beverages in the world. Due to the growing attention paid to consumer health, there is a continuous search for sustainable alternatives to common additives (such as sulfur dioxide) used to preserve wine. An example is represented by chitosan, the main derivative of chitin, approved for the treatment of must and wine since 2009 by the “international organization of vine and wine” (OIV/OENO 338a/2009) and by the european commission (EC Reg. No. 606/2009).

Aim: Many processes or reactions that occur in plants involved isotopic discrimination. Water availability, for example, affects the isotopic ratio of carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O). In viticulture, δ13C is used in experiments related to water relations and irrigation in vineyards. δ18O is used much less but it could be a good complement to δ13C. The aim of this study was to generate knowledge on how these isotopic ratios, measured in musts, could help to better understand the water behavior of grape varieties. 

There is a growing interest in the exploitation of vine-shoots waste, since they are often left or burned. Sánchez-Gómez et al. [1] have shown that vines-shoots aqueous extracts have significant contents of bioactive compounds, among which several polyphenols and volatiles are highlighted. Recent studied had demonstrated that the chemical composition of vine-shoots is enhanced when vine-shoots are toasted
[2,3]. The application of vegetable products in the vineyards has led to significant changes towards a more “Sustainable Viticulture”. An innovative foliar application for Airén vine-shoot extracts have been carried out to the vineyard. It has been shown that they act as grape biostimulants, improving certain wine quality characteristics [4].

Aims: In previous work, five indigenous Pichia kluyveri strains, GS1-1, FS-2-7, HS-2-1, C730 and C732, were isolated and selected from spontaneous fermented wines from Ningxia and Gansu. The aims of this study were to 1) evaluate resistance of these strains to environmental stressors that may restrict their growth and the progress of alcoholic fermentation; 2) Investigate their fermentation dynamics; 3) Characterise aroma profiles of Cabernet Sauvignon wines made from mixed cultures of P. kluyveri and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Viticulture worldwide is currently affected by the effects of climate change. This set of adverse phenomena lead to a deterioration of functional vine mechanisms, affecting growth, physiology and grape ripening, which may cause severe losses with respect to yield and quality. To prevent water stress and other abiotic factors from severely affecting its physiology, the vine’s response is to reduce transpiration and photosynthesis rates. This response varies depending on the cultivar and its ability to adapt to the environment. The hydroscape method is based on the internal regulation of water status in the plant. It has been recently used to classify grapevine genotypes according to their iso/anisohydric behavior when they are subjected to water stress conditions.