Screening table grape cultivars using cell wall ELISA and glycan microarrays for berry firmness and quality parameters

Vineyards are complex agro-ecosystems with high spatial and temporal variability. An efficient training system may counteract the adverse effects of this variability. Moreover, considering the climate change issues, choosing an efficient training system that enhances water use and protects the vines from radiative thermal stress has become a priority for the farmers. A multidisciplinary approach that assesses the soil-crop-yield-wine relationships of vineyards in a distributed and holistic way could bring added knowledge on the behavior of the different training systems. This ongoing research aimed to implement a multidisciplinary approach to study the behavior of “Aglianico del Vulture” grapevines trained with two different systems: a spurred cordon (SC) and an “Alberello in parete” (AL), grown in a high-quality wine production area of Basilicata region (Italy). The approach merged several methods and scales of soil, ecophysiology, must/wine quality, and spectral data collection to assess the influence of the training system. Homogeneous zones (HZs) in both training systems were defined through a procedure based on geomorphological classification, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) images analysis, and a traditional soil survey supported by geophysical scanning. During the 2021 season, TDR probes monitored soil water content, while grapevine health status was assessed using eco-physiological measurements (LWP, chlorophyll content, PSII photosynthetic efficiency, LAI, and point-based field spectroscopy). These grapevine in-vivo measurements validated the spectral vegetation indexes (NDVI, RENDVI, CVI, and TVI) derived from the UAV multispectral imagery, which monitored the grapevine status in a distributed and non-invasive way. Grape yield, quality of berries, must and wine were measured to assess the effects of the training systems. The first experimental year results showed the variability of the vineyards and revealed relationships among soil parameters, crop characteristics, and vegetation indices of the SC and AL training systems. This multidisciplinary study could bring new insights into the vineyard training system’s effects on grape yield and wine quality.

The black box of taste is getting unlocked. The starting point is to distinguish taste from tasting. Consider taste as a product characteristic; tasting is a sensorial activity. Consequently, taste can be studied on a molecular level and therefore be assessed more objectively, whilst tasting is a human activity and by definition subjective.

Aim: Temperature corresponds to one of the main terroir factors influencing grapevine physiology, primarily evidenced by its impact on phenology. Numerous studies have aimed at expressing time with thermal indices such as growing degree days (GDD) and have thus enabled a better modelling of grapevine responses to temperature. However, some works have highlighted the need to adapt

Variations in average growing season and ripening season temperatures within the Walla Walla Valley American Viticultural Area are related to elevation and regional and local topography.

Today winegrowers involved in mechanical winter pruning are applying this viticultural technique on two main training systems, the free cordon, appearing to be the more efficient, and the trellised vertical shoot positioning (VSP) system. The main reasons for maintaining the trellis are generally due to common habits in vineyard management, risk of wind damage for the shoots, or risk of decrease in photosynthesis potential. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of the two training systems on vine. In addition, different nitrogen fertilization levels were applied on the two systems to evaluate the best combination to achieve yield and grape quality.