terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Melatonin priming retards fungal decay in postharvest table grapes 

Melatonin priming retards fungal decay in postharvest table grapes 

Abstract

Postharvest losses of fruits may reach in some cases 40% in developed countries. This food waste has a significant carbon footprint and makes a major contribution toward greenhouse gas emissions so sustainable postharvest strategies are being investigated.

Melatonin, a well-known mammalian neurohormone, has been investigated as a priming agent to slow down fungal decay progression in postharvest climacteric and some non-climacteric fruits. However, the molecular and metabolic mechanisms responsible for such enhancement of disease tolerance are largely unknown. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of melatonin priming in fungal decay progression in postharvest table grapes (Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Red Globe’ and ‘Sugra 48’). Melatonin-treated grapes clearly presented lower levels of fungal decay incidence and symptom severity. DNA sequencing putatively identified three fungal species in postharvest grapes: Penicillium expansum, Penicillium crustosum and Cladosporium cladosporioides. While MDA and total anthocyanin content presented no altered levels due to melatonin treatment, phytoalexins´ profile significantly changed (e.g. trans-resveratrol, trans-piceid). Recent untargeted metabolomics data suggests that phenylpropanoid pathway is being remodelled under melatonin treatment (e.g gallic acid, catechin gallate, specific anthocyanins). RNA extraction and sequencing is being conducted to integrate these metabolic results with molecular data. Altogether, results indicate that melatonin priming leads to an effective response to fungal decay in table grapes by modulating secondary metabolism involved in defense. Ultimately, this work will clarify mechanistic processes regarding this innovative priming agent that may also have a positive impact on nutritional quality of fruits.

DOI:

Publication date: June 14, 2024

Issue: Open GPB 2024

Type: Article

Authors

Maria Paes 1, Florent Weiller1,  Patrícia Pardal1,  Vicent Leclère2, Inês Diniz3, Helena Gaspar1, Aziz Aziz2, Gianmaria Califano1, Ana Margarida Fortes1*

1 BioISI – Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
2 University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Induced Resistance and Plant Bioprotection (RIBP), USC INRAE Reims 51100, France
3 Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food (LEAF), TERRA—Associated Laboratory for the Sustainability of Land Use and Ecosystem Services, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal

Contact the author*

Keywords

melatonin priming, postharvest, table grapes, fungal decay, fruit quality

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Open GPB | Open GPB 2024

Citation

Related articles…

Mapping and tracking canopy size with VitiCanopy

Understanding vineyard variability to target management strategies, apply inputs efficiently and deliver consistent grape quality to the winery is essential. However, despite inherent vineyard variability, the majority are managed as if they are uniform. VitiCanopy is a simple, grower-friendly tool for precision/digital viticulture that allows users to collect and interpret objective spatial information about vineyard performance. After four years of field and market research, an upgraded VitiCanopy has been created to achieve a more streamlined, technology-assisted vine monitoring tool that provides users with a set of superior new features, which could significantly improve the way users monitor their grapevines. These new features include:
• New user interface
• User authentication
• Batch analysis of multiple images
• Ease the learning curve through enhanced help features
• Reporting via the creation of colour maps that will allow users to assess the spatial differences in canopies within a vineyard.
Use-case examples are presented to demonstrate the quantification and mapping of vineyard variability through objective canopy measurements, ground-truthing of remotely sensed measurements, monitoring of crop conditions, implementation of disease and water management decisions as well as creating a history of each site to forecast quality. This intelligent tool allows users to manage grapevines and make informed management choices to achieve the desired production targets and remain profitable.

Exploring the prevalence of esca-induced leaf symptoms in French vineyards and the role of climate: a national scale analysis

Esca, a severe trunk disease affecting vineyards, is caused by fungal pathogens that induce wood necrosis and decay, leaf symptoms, yield losses, and potentially a rapid death of the vine. The prevalence of this disease varies across years, regions, cultivars, and plot ages. Despite its significance in understanding and predicting dieback risk in different vineyards, the role of climate in trunk diseases remains a relatively unexplored research area. While some studies have demonstrated the impact of certain climatic conditions on the prevalence of the disease, they often focus on a limited number of plots and yield conflicting results.We conducted a statistical analysis, using a Bayesian approach on a national database comprising prevalence data of esca from over 500 different plots in France, spanning the years 2003 to 2022 and encompassing various cultivars.

Detoxification capacities of heavy metals and pesticides by yeasts 

Winegrowing is still characterized by the extensive use of chemical fertilizers and plant protection products, despite strong recommendations to limit these practices. A part of these xenobiotics and metals are then found in grape juice and wine, causing a major health concern, as well as negatively affecting the fermentation process. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in non-Saccharomyces yeasts. These species have a wide phenotypic diversity, which would be exploited to broaden the aromatic palette of wines.

Fermentations management: tools for the preservation of the wine specificity

Development of the indigenous microflora is not insignificant on the wine quality. S. cerevisiae indigenous strains are low tolerant to ethanol.

EMERGENCE OF INORGANIC PHOSPHONATE RESIDUES IN GRAPEVINE PLANT PARTS, BERRIES AND WINES FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN FOLIAR SPRAYING

Inorganic phosphonates are known to effectively support the control of grapevine downy mildew in vi- ticulture. Their application helps the plant to induce an earlier and more effective pathogen defense. However, inorganic phosphonates have been banned in organic viticulture due to their classification as plant protection products since October 2013. Despite the ban, phosphonate has been recently detected in organic wines.