Effects of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on grape composition in Monastrell grapevines under semiarid conditions

Aim: Wine quality and character are defined in part by the terroir in which the grapes are grown. Metabolomic techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), are used to characterise wines and to detect wine fraud in other countries but have not been extensively trialled in Australia. This study aimed to investigate the use of ICP-MS and NMR to characterise a selection of Pinot noir wines.

Context and purpose of the study. Modern conventional agriculture, including viticulture, relies greatly on the use of chemical inputs, especially synthetic pesticides.

The cultivation of grapes, can be accomplished with the use of different systems and practices of agricultural management, the choice of the system to be followed in the vineyard, depends on the conditions of available resources, these being: natural, economic, social, cultural and territorial. As well, it is relevant to know the characteristics of the soil of the vineyard. In the last decade, has been recurrent use of agricultural practices which date back to milinares traditions, with the aim of promoting a recovery of soil and lead the management of cultivation with less damage to the ecosystem. The study here, aimed to quantify the environmental impacts caused in the use of nutrients in conventional tillage and of grapes in the biodynamic agricultural properties in the state of Rio Grande do Sul- Brazil.

Antão Vaz is a Portuguese white grapevine variety grown mainly in the wine-growing regions of Southern Portugal, particularly in the Alentejo, Lisbon and Setúbal peninsula regions. It is a very vigorous and productive variety, giving the wines a strong identity. It needs heat and sunlight and prefers deep and dry soils, which makes it tolerant to scald caused by the high summer temperatures of Southern Portugal. However, this variety is very susceptible to downy mildew, caused by plasmopara viticola, a very destructive disease in years with rainy springs.

The sustainability of viticulture hinges on maintaining quality and yield while reducing pesticide use. Promising strides in this direction involve the development of clones with enhanced disease tolerance, particularly through the knockout of plant susceptibility genes. Knocking out of Downy Mildew Resistant 6 (DMR6) led to increased levels of endogenous salicylic acid (SA), a regulator of immunity, resulting in enhanced tolerance to Downy Mildew (DM) and other diseases in various crops.