Design of an indicator of vine vigor potential conferred by soil (vipos), using a fuzzy expert system

Context and purpose of the study – Viticulture faces significant challenges due to climate change, with increased frequency of extreme weather events impacting grapevine growth, grape quality, and wine production.

Enzymatic browning (BE) of must is caused by polyphenol oxidases (PPOs), tyrosinase and laccase. Both PPOs can oxidize diphenols such as hydroxycinnamic acids (HA) to quinones, which can later polymerize to form melanins [1], which are responsible of BE in white wines and of oxidasic haze in red wines. SO₂ is the main tool used to protect must from BE thanks to its capacity to inhibit PPOs [2]. However, the current trend in winemaking is to reduce and even eliminate this unfriendly additive. Among the different possible alternatives for protecting must against BE, the inoculation with a selected Metschnikowia pulcherrima MP1 is without any doubt one of the most promising ones.

Context and purpose. Viticulture has exerted a profound influence on the landscape and biodiversity of numerous countries for centuries.

Climate change has varied effects across French vineyards, with marked regional differences in temperature shifts. Fine-scale studies highlight significant local climate variability, emphasizing the need for precise regional characterization to adapt vineyard management at the regional scale.

Context and purpose of the study ‐ Vine balance is a concept describing the relationship between carbon assimilation (usually estimated using a measure of vine vigour, e.g. pruning weight) and its utilisation for fruit production (usually estimated using harvest yield). Manipulating vine balance through leaf area or crop load adjustments affects the proportion of the vine’s total carbohydrate production required to mature the fruit. It is commonly considered that composition of the berry, and resulting wine, is strongly affected by vine balance.