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The aim of the trial was to test the effects of cluster spray treatments by a solution (0.03%) of chitosan, on the grape secondary metabolite synthesis of V. vinifera cv. Montepulciano. A proteomic and metabolomic approach was developed in order to investigate the enzymes and the final metabolites affected by elicitation. Pathway analysis of differential proteins highlighted the involvement of pterostilbene and triterpenoid (ursolate, oleanolate, betulinate) biosynthesis, and the metabolomic analysis showed an increasing of triterpenoids and pterostilbene in treated grapes.

Viticulture is in great need of new rootstocks sharing features of scion growth control and tolerance to major biotic and abiotic stress factors. A two year study was carried out in pots to assess performances of the two new M1 and M3 rootstocks vs. those of the commercial rootstocks 1103P and 101-14. Potted vines of M1, M3, 1103P and 101-14 rootstocks were grown in a calcareous and non calcareous soil and for two consecutive seasons subjected to three N supply levels at 0, 2 and 4 g of N per pot. Vegetative growth, leaf gas exchange, leaf greenness index (GI) and leaf blade nutrition were assessed. M1 and 1103P were the least vigorous genotypes in terms of total pruning weight; M1 also manifested a stronger apical dominance. Both M rootstocks and 101-14 showed increased leaf WUE at both N supply levels which was due to ability to maintain, at increasing N supply, similar leaf assimilation rates while significantly reducing leaf transpiration. Common tendency of any rootstocks was that increasing N supply corresponded to lowered leaf concentration of K, P, Mg and B. M1 was able to combine a series of desirable features including lower vigor, strong apical dominance, higher WUE at increasing N supply and quite well balanced leaf nutritional pattern. In the present trial M3 did not have the expected devigorating effect.

Si è studiata l'adattabilità di nuovi portinnesti della vite a condizioni di differente disponibilità di azoto nel mezzo e verificato il loro effetto sulla nutrizione azotata di Vitis vinifera

E'stata studiata l'adattabilità di nuovi portinnesti della vite della serie M a condizioni di differente disponibilità di potassio nel mezzo e verificato il loro effetto sulla nutrizione minerale, in particolare potassico-magnesiaca, di Vitis vinifera

Il volume raccoglie i risultati delle ricerche condotte nel quadriennio 2010-2013 nell'ambito del Progetto AGER-Serres relativamente alla selezione di nuovi portinnesti di vite resistenti a stress abiotici mediante lo sviluppo e la validazione di marcatori fisiologici e molecolari.

Amid growing concerns over global warming and available management strategies for reducing cluster temperature to prevent overheating and sunburn damage, there is increasing interest in sprawling, non-positioned canopies as an alternative to traditional vertically-positioned ones. However, management of sprawling canopies needs adjustments so that a mostly erect growth pattern is maintained during the season. A three-year study (2009–2011) was carried out to investigate the performance of 15-yr-old Pinot noir grapevines trained to a single high-wire trellis (SHW) subjected to pre-bloom shoot trimming to retain seven (T7) or eleven (T11) main stem leaves. Results showed significant year x treatment interactions: with a low crop and weather conducive to post-trimming lateral re-growth in 2010, trimmed vines had higher leaf area, soluble solids concentration, pH, total anthocyanins and cluster rot incidence than control vines, whereas in 2009 and 2011 the overall must compositional pattern was reversed due to sub-optimal leaf-to-fruit ratios in the trimmed plots. The effects linked to this necessary operation are very much dependent upon unpredictable weather occurring after shoot trimming and, hence, the milder trimming severity (T11) may more successfully balance the need of inducing a still mostly erect canopy while retaining more vine leaves to buffer any weak lateral formation after trimming. The paper provides new and useful knowledge for improved canopy management in trellises having free shoot growth due to absence of foliage wires.

A breeding programme by intra-specific crossing was set up in 1989, in the experimental Station "Riccagioia" (Lombardia region, north-west Italy), with the aim of getting new varieties mainly for white sparkling wine. V. vinifera L. 'Riesling italico' was used as the female parent, while cv. 'Pinot noir' and cv. 'Chardonnay' were used as males, resulting in two progenies (designated RPN and RCH). 900 and 400 seedlings were obtained from RPN and RCH crossings respectively, and a low-pressure field selection was performed, choosing 50 individuals out of the 1,300, by utilizing as screening criteria vegetative habit, phenology, ripening and health aspects. The selected seedlings were grafted on SO4 rootstock, and the productivity and qualitative grape parameters of the field-grown vines were checked over a 4-year-period (2002- 2005) by multifactorial analysis of variance (MANOVA) and SNK (Student Newman Keuls). DNA fingerprinting (by microsatellite) of the progenies and the parent varieties was performed as well, confirming the parentage. Grapes were vinified at harvest, and the wines were evaluated according to sensory analysis, by processing the main descriptors by the non parametric Friedman test. According to the above mentioned parameters, three new varieties were selected, as follows: RCH10 and RPN33 (both white berry) and RPN26 (red berry), due to a good canopy (RCH10), high acidity and sugar and very low cluster and berry weight (RPN26). RCH10 and RPN33 are interesting for sparkling wine because of the white color, the wider sensorial profile and the highest pleasure indices, as compared to the parents (cv. 'Riesling italico' and cv. 'Pinot noir'). RPN 26 has an unexpected later ripening and a wine color intensity much higher than 'Pinot noir', being suitable for the production of red wines; according to the high-pressure selection tightly connected with the objectives of this breeding program, this genotype would have been excluded in the first step of the sel

A better physiological and productive performance of cv. Montepulciano versus cv. Sangiovese under well-watered conditions has been recently assessed. The objective of this study was to verify that this behaviour is maintained when a pre-veraison deficit irrigation (vines held at 40% pot capacity from fruit-set to veraison) followed by re-watering (pot capacity reported at 90%). Single leaf assimilation rate and stomatal conductance, diurnal and seasonal whole-canopy net CO2 exchange (NCER) and water use efficiency were always higher in Sangiovese under deficit irrigation. Due to water shortage Montepulciano displayed a more compact growing habit due to decreased shoot and internode length. Sangiovese showed excellent recovery upon re-watering as NCER resulted to be higher than the pre-stress period; however, this might also relate to early and severe basal leaf yellowing and shedding. Early deficit irrigation affected xylem characteristics of Montepulciano more than in Sangiovese; vessel density increased (37 vs 29%, respectively, compared with well-watered vines) and the hydraulic conductance decreased more (-13 vs -3% respectively) compared with well-watered vines. Yield components and technological maturity were similar in the two cultivars, whereas Montepulciano grapes had lower anthocyanins and phenolics. Higher physiological and productive efficiency under non-limiting water conditions showed by Montepulciano compared with Sangiovese was basically reversed when both cultivars were subjected to an early deficit irrigation. © CSIRO 2014.

Chitosan is a polysaccharide obtained by deacetylation of chitin, and it is involved in defence mechanisms of plants toward diseases. In the present work, V. vinifera L. cv. Ortrugo, grafted on 420A rootstock was grown in pot and treated, at veraison, by 0.03% chitosan solution at cluster level. Just before the treatment (T0) and 24 hours (T1), 48 hours (T2), 72 hours (T3) and 10 days (T4) later, the concentration of stilbenic compounds was detected, and at T1 proteomics and metabolomics analyses were done. Proteomics relies on the analysis of the complete set of proteins existing in a given substrate, while metabolomics relies on the analyses of the complete set of metabolites in a given substrate. The treatment improved the stilbene concentration over the control at T1. Proteomic analysis showed that superoxide dismutase (SOD) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) were overexpressed in the treated grapes. SOD is known to be an enzyme active against reactive oxygen species (ROS) while PAL is a key enzyme in the phenylpropanoids pathway. Metabolomics analysis highlighted the positive role of the treatment in improving the triperpenoid concentration (betulin, erythrodiol, uvaol, oleanolate); these compounds are known to be effective against microbes, insects and fungi

Selection of new grape cultivars by intraspecific crossing increases biodiversity as well as improves some parents’ characteristics. However, their success is still unclear. It seems to depend upon how well they respond to different challenges and demands of the modern viticulture, such as their adaptability to climate change and vineyard mechanization. This research aims to characterize vine performance and suitability to mechanical harvesting of cultivar ‘Ervi’ (V. vinifera L.), an Italian crossbreed between ‘Barbera’ and ‘Croatina’. The trial was performed between 2008 and 2010 on the Piacenza hills using Guyot trained vines. Cluster number and yield per vine were recorded at harvest. Subsequently, shoot fertility, cluster and berry weight were calculated accordingly. Soluble solids, pH and must titratable acidity were analyzed as well as total anthocyanins and phenols grape content. A pool of 891 berries was randomly picked and their respective detachment force was measured by a dynamometer. ‘Ervi’ showed more constant yield than its parents and shoot fertility higher than ‘Croatina’ suggesting that short spur pruning is feasible. Berry weight in ‘Ervi’ was also lower than in ‘Barbera’. Ripening was earlier than both parents. The adaptability of ‘Ervi’ to the mechanical harvesting is similar to ‘Barbera’ and better than ‘Croatina’. The BDF is cultivar-dependent and is an important parameter for mechanical harvesting. Its application as a maturity index is still premature.

Selection of resistant rootstcks to overcome recent climate-change events is a crucial factor for developing sustainable agricultural practices and for assuring optimal quality of grapes.