Precision viticulture: using on-board sensors to map vine variability and characterize vine trajectories

According to the World Economic Forum and the European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the loss of biodiversity and the collapse of ecosystems are major threats facing humanity in the future.

Toasted vine-shoots as enological additive represents a promising topic due to their significant effect on wine profile. However, the use of this new enological tool with SEGs varieties different than wine and combined with others winemaking technologies, such as micro-oxygenation (MOX), has not been studied so far, despite this combination could result in wine with high chemical and organoleptic quality.

The fungicidal effect of UV-C radiation (100-280 nm wavelength) is well known, but its applicability for the control of pathogenic molds of grapes is conditioned by its effect on the host and by the risks inherent in its handling[1].
As an alternative, the effect in vitro of UV-B radiation (280-315 nm) on the main pathogenic molds of grapes has been studied: Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum and Rhizopus stolonifer.

Fungicides play a critical role in managing grapevine downy mildew caused by the oomycete Plasmopara viticola, a biotrophic and polycyclic pathogen with a high risk of fungicide resistance. Zoxamide, categorized as a low to medium resistance risk, disrupts cell division by inhibiting tubulin polymerization. Resistance to zoxamide is uncommon in field isolates. This six-year study (2017-2022) aimed to detect and quantify zoxamide sensitivity in P. viticola populations across varying resistance pressures in Italian grapevine regions. Analysis of 126 samples from 57 vineyards, mainly in North-Eastern Italy, revealed that most samples exhibited EC50, EC95, and MIC values below 0.1 and 10 mg/L of zoxamide, respectively. Nineteen vineyards showed reduced sensitivity (MIC>100 mg/L), but only four samples were characterized by 24-54% resistant oospores at >100 mg/L of zoxamide.

Grapevine winter hardiness is a key factor in vineyard success in many cool climate wine regions. Winter hardiness may be governed by several factors in addition to extreme weather conditions – e.g. soil factors (texture, chemical composition, moisture, drainage), vine water status, and yield– that are unique to each site.