Proteomic profiling of grape berry presenting early loss of mesocarp cell vitality

Rootstocks not only provide tolerance to Phylloxera, but also ensure the supply of water and mineral nutrients to the whole plant. Rootstocks are an important way of adapting to environmental conditions while conserving the typical features of scion varieties. We can exploit the large diversity of rootstocks used worldwide to aid this adaptation. The aim of this study was to characterise rootstock regulation of scion mineral status and its relation with scion development.

Industry and regulatory agencies have developed regulations to ensure authenticity and compliance with wine composition limits. However, this can be truncated by the absence of simple and robust analytical methodologies, uninfluenced by the environment, different oenological techniques and cultural practices. Genetic fingerprinting is the most powerful tool for unequivocal varietal identification; it is not affected by the environment or agronomic practices; however, its usefulness in musts and wines has been controversial and there is currently no routine certification of varietal origin based on DNA analysis.

One of the main aspects of Climate Change is the increase of temperatures during summer and grape maturity period. Physiological processes are influenced by these high temperatures and result in grapes with higher sugar concentration, less acidity and less anthocyanin content among other quality changes. One strategy to deal with the climate change effects is the implementation of late winter pruning to alter the effect of high temperatures during key periods by delays in maturity time.

Irrigation is an essential tool for grape production, especially where rainfall does not meet the optimal water requirements needed to achieve yield and quality targets. Increased evaporative demand of grapevines due to changing climate conditions, and a growing awareness for sustainable farming, require the improvement of irrigation techniques to maximize water use efficiency, i.e. using less water to achieve the same yields or the same water but larger yields. In this study, the performance of Cabernet Sauvignon vines was compared under three irrigation techniques: conventional aboveground drip irrigation, subsurface irrigation installed directly under the vine row, and partial rootzone drying in which two subsurface lines were buried in the middle of the two interrow spacings on each side of the vine row with irrigation alternated between the two lines based on soil moisture content.

A solid feature of climate change is that the frequency and severity of weather extremes are increasing. Ranking European countries for the number of crop failures related to extreme events reports France on top followed by Italy and Spain (COM 2021).