Validation of phenological models for grapevine in the Veneto region

Water tolerance in plants is often associated with the accumulation of osmotic protectants, which are secondary metabolites that can help the plant to cope with water stress. One of the key osmotic protectants is a sugar called Raffinose, which is synthesized by a family of enzymes called Raffinose synthases. In this work, we focused on one of these enzymes, VviRAF2, which is a gene that shows different expression levels and genetic variants (SNPs) among different grapevine cultivars, ranging from tolerant to susceptible to water stress, and the transcription factors that may regulate the expression of this gene family.

Red wine is a beverage with one of the highest polyphenol concentration, which are extracted during the maceration step of the winemaking process.

The addition of fungal chitosan in wine is allowed since 2009 to release some spoilage microorganisms such as Brettanomyces bruxellensis (OIV/OENO 338A/2009; EC 53/2011). This yeast is able to produce volatil phenols and is responsible of organoleptic deviations compromising quality and typicality of red wines [1]. Despite the fact that fungal chitosan is highly renewable, no toxic and non-allergenic, its use remains marginal because this treatment is relatively recent (compare to sulphites treatment) and information are contradictory between different studies described in literature. For all these reasons,

The plant surface typically comprises of various epidermal cell types which synthesise and deposit a protective waxy layer known as the cuticle. The cuticle is a significant contributor to important crop traits related to drought tolerance, biotic stress, postharvest fruit quality as well as providing structural support. In this work we have investigated grape berry cuticle formation in the context of the accumulation of anti-fungal specialised metabolites and the ability of the cuticle to structurally cope with the rapid expansion of ripening berries. Metabolic QTL analysis was performed in a grapevine cross population, using chemical profiling data collected via GC-MS analysis for cuticular waxes.

Aim: Several plant-based indicators of vine N status are reported in the literature. Among these, yeast assimilable nitrogen in grape must (YAN) and total N concentration of petiole and leaf blades are considered to be reliable indicators and so is the chlorophyll index, measured with a device called N-tester. The N-tester index is used to measure the intensity of the green colour of the leaf blade, and therefore to estimate its chlorophyll content.