Vine performance benchmarking of indigenous Cypriot grape varieties Xynisteri and Maratheftiko

A major goal of modern grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) breeding programs is the introgression of resistance genes along with desirable traits for better adaptation to climate change. Developmental stages have an impact on yield components and berry composition and are expected to shift towards earlier dates in the future. We investigated the genetic determinism of phenological stages in the progeny of a cross between two grapevine hybrids, each carrying several quantitative trait loci (QTL) for downy mildew and powdery mildew resistance.

Major and trace elements are essential for the development of grapes used for the wine. They are primarily originating from the soil. Some elements are also seldomly added during the wine making process. Therefore, the largest spectrum of major, trace and ultra-trace elements in the final wine product is a good signature of its geographical origin. In the frame of the European tracewindu, we have developed a very original multi-isotopic dilution method using triple quadrupole icp/ms.

Deciphering grapevine dormancy is crucial in the current context of climatic challenges: advancing budburst phenology and increased late frost probabilities, observed in the last decades and expected to further increase, require deeper understanding. Beyond higher mean temperatures, abiotic stresses such as water deficit have also been emphasized as actors. In this framework, we aimed at exploring new methodologies for tracking dormancy cycle and testing the interplay on its regulation of temperature dynamics and drought.
In a first experiment, twenty-one Vitis vinifera varieties were monitored during ecodormancy and budburst over three years.

The global wine consumption landscape is undergoing a transformation, marked by a growing trend towards reduced consumption and a preference for healthier lifestyles. In line with this shift, european union regulation (regulation eu 2021/2117) has recently redefined dealcoholized or partially dealcoholized wine within the wine category.

In a context of sustainable agriculture, “agroecological immunity” is an emerging concept to reduce the use of chemical pesticides to protect crops against pathogens. This alternative strategy aims to combine different levers including the use of “bio”solutions. These include biocontrol products, some of which being plant defense elicitors, as well as products authorized in organic farming such as copper or sulfur. In vineyards, depending on climate conditions, powdery and downy mildews can be devastating diseases.