Spatial variability of grape berry maturation program at the molecular level 

As a result of climate change consequences, there is a gap between the times at which the grapes reach the phenolic and the technology maturities.

Achieving disease resistance in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) without compromising plant growth is a significant challenge for viticulture. Astrategy to reduce susceptibility to Downy Mildew (DM) is through dual inactivation of the salicylic acid (SA) hydroxylases VviDMR6-1 and VviDMR6-2 by gene editing, which leads to elevated endogenous SAlevels and enhanced immunity.

Vineyard yield forecasting is a key issue for vintage scheduling and for optimizing vineyard and winery resources.

Chitosan is a biopolymer industrially obtained from the deacetylation of chitin, the second most abundant polysaccharide on earth, after cellulose. It is extracted from various terrestrial and marine resources, including insects, grasshoppers, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, squids, and fungi. chitosan has a polycationic character due to the free amine groups along its chemical backbone, and depending on its deacetylation degree (DD) and molecular weight (MW), it shows variable properties that differ from those of other natural polysaccharides.

Botrytis cinerea Pers., the causal agent of grey mould disease, is responsible for substantial economic losses, as it causes reduction of grape and wine quality and quantity. Exploitation of antagonistic yeasts is a promising strategy for controlling grey mould incidence and limiting the usage of synthetic fungicides. In our previous studies, 119 different indigenous yeasts were screened for putative multidimensional modes of action against filamentous fungus B. cinerea [1]. The most promissing biocontrol yeast was Pichia guilliermondii ZIM624, which exhibited several anatagonistic traits (production of cell wall degrading enzymes, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase; demonstration of in vitro inhibitory effect on B. cinerea mycelia radial growth; production of antifungal volatiles, assimilation of a broad diversity of carbon sources, contributing to its competitivnes in inhabiting grapes in nature).