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

The advent of precision viticulture (PV) has allowed to address problems related to spatial and temporal variability at the within-field scale. Nowadays, several remote and proximal sensing solutions allow description of the existing variability at different temporal and ground resolution through extremely robust soil, vigor, yield, and grape quality maps. In parallel, numerous studies have described grapevine performances within the homogeneous zones and identified soil as main driver of variability. There is a broad consensus that different vigor zones within the same plot may show differential canopy growth, yield and fruit composition, depicting diverse enological potentials and cultural needs.

Valpolicella is an Italian region famous for the production of high quality red wines. Wines produced in its different sub-regions are believed to be aromatically different, as confirmed by recent studies in our laboratory. Aging is a very common practice in Valpolicella and it is required by the appellation regulation for periods up to four years. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution, during aging, of volatile chemical composition of Valpolicella wines obtained from grapes harvested in different sub-regions during different vintages.

One of the major threats to viticulture is represented by fungal pathogens. Plasmopara viticola, an oomycete causing grapevine downy mildew, is one of the principal causes of grape production losses. The most efficient management strategies are represented by a combination of agronomical practices, fungicides’ applications, and use of resistant varieties. Plant resistance is conferred by the presence of resistance (R) genes. Opposed to them, susceptibility (S) genes are encoded by plants and exploited by pathogens to promote infection. Loss or mutation of S genes can limit the ability of pathogens to infect the host. By exploiting post-transcriptional gene silencing, known as RNA intereference (RNAi), it is possible to knock-down the expression of S genes, promoting plant resistance.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of topsoil thickness on dormant pruning weights, cluster compactness, and fruit composition (°Brix, titratable acidity, pH) in the Mid-Atlantic of the United States. 

Un des principaux objectifs du zonage viticole est l’individuation des zones plus indiquées à la production de vins de haute qualité en relation aux cépages. Ceperrlant depuis beaucqup d’années, entre les paramètres de qualité du raisin, on n’a pas considéré les substances phénoliques par effet de l!l difficulté d’analyse en temps rapides.