Search Results (1,823)

The present study highlights the genetic relationships among 52 grapevine varieties, including traditional and newly developed Romanian varieties and international reference cultivars, held in a small didactic ampelographic collection in Iaşi, Romania, and their genetic diversity, assessed using multivariate analysis. Twelve nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, including nine OIV-standard descriptors, were used for genetic profiling. A total of 102 alleles were identified, with an average of 8.5 alleles per locus. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.779 confirmed the high discriminatory power of the chosen markers. NJ dendrogram and PCoA yielded mostly similar results but did not clearly differentiate genotypes based on the selected criteria for genotype comparison (usage or historical status). STRUCTURE analysis assigned genotypes to SSR-group 1 (23.07%) and SSR-group 2 (34.61%) under K = 2 and a Q-value threshold of 0.85. The high proportion of admixed genotypes (42.32%) may reflect complex pedigrees and the migration of grapevine varieties across a wider territory surrounding Romania. The present research may serve as a starting point for future studies in Romania on the genetic structure and parental analysis of grapevine varieties held in small didactic collections, aiming to characterize and hold valuable grapevine varieties under secure conditions for future generations. Full article

Brassinosteroids are recognized regulators of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in grapevine; however, their spatiotemporal effects remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined the stage-specific impacts of exogenous 24-epibrassinolide and brassinazole on these phenolic compounds in Cabernet Sauvignon. Treatments were applied at fruit set and veraison, with skin and seed tissues collected across six developmental stages. Berry ripening and quality parameters were evaluated, and phenolic profiles were quantified via HPLC. The results revealed that both 24-epibrassinolide and brassinazole significantly influenced grape maturation and phenolic biosynthesis in a timing-dependent manner. Specifically, 24-epibrassinolide application at fruit set increased the content of proanthocyanidins and trihydroxylated subunits, as well as the galloylation percentage, in both skins and seeds, while also altering their composition and subunit architecture. In contrast, veraison-stage treatment reduced these parameters in seeds but promoted them in skins, highlighting a tissue-specific response within the same developmental window. Moreover, compared with fruit-set treatment, 24-epibrassinolide application at veraison more significantly enhanced total anthocyanin content in skins, predominantly through the accumulation of specific monomeric forms. Together, based on two consecutive growing seasons (2022–2023) in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon, these findings demonstrate that brassinosteroid regulation of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in grape berries depends not only on the tissue but also on the phenological stage of application. In conclusion, this study reveals distinct spatiotemporal patterns in the regulation of phenolic biosynthesis by 24-epibrassinolide in grapevine, providing new insights into the hormone-mediated modulation of secondary metabolism and suggesting a potential agronomic strategy for precisely shaping the phenolic profile of wine grapes through stage-targeted brassinosteroid application. Full article

Grapevine tissues (Vitis spp.) are rich in various phenolic compounds and polysaccharides, which complicates the isolation of dsDNA for molecular analysis. In this study, 25 different DNA extraction buffers were developed and tested using a six-factor matrix method with five levels of variation. An optimized buffer based on 100 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) was developed, containing 1% (m/v) CTAB, 1% (m/v) PVP, 5% (v/v) β-mercaptoethanol, 30 mM Na₂EDTA, 1.0 M NaCl, and 60 min of incubation. The protocol allowed us to obtain high-quality DNA (187–305 ng/µL, OD260/OD280 = 1.80–1.88) suitable for PCR from five grape varieties: ‘Chardonnay’, ‘Kober 5BB’, ‘Shine Muscat’, ‘Selection Oppenheim 4’, and ‘Fercal’, grown in vitro. This universal buffer improves the reproducibility of results in studies of genetic diversity, pathogen detection, and breeding. Full article

Salt stress is a major abiotic factor limiting grapevine growth and yield. To elucidate the physiological and molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in grapevine, this study used ‘Carménère’ (Vitis vinifera) and ‘Pinot Noir’ (Vitis vinifera) as experimental materials. Under 200 mmol/L NaCl stress, the physiological response characteristics of the two cultivars were systematically compared, and transcriptome sequencing combined with qRT-PCR analysis was conducted to explore the molecular basis of their differences in salt tolerance. The results showed that salt stress significantly impaired photosynthetic performance and disrupted cellular homeostasis in grapevine; however, the reductions in relative chlorophyll content (SPAD value), maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), and photosynthetic performance were significantly smaller in ‘Carménère’ than in ‘Pinot Noir’, indicating greater stability of the photosynthetic apparatus in ‘Carménère’. Meanwhile, ‘Carménère’ maintained higher activities of antioxidant enzymes and higher levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants, effectively reducing reactive oxygen species accumulation and membrane lipid peroxidation. In addition, under salt stress, ‘Carménère’ accumulated greater amounts of osmotic adjustment substances and maintained lower Na⁺ content and higher K⁺ content, demonstrating a more efficient capacity for osmotic regulation and ion homeostasis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling, and glutathione metabolism pathways were significantly enriched in ‘Carménère’, with multiple key genes being coordinately upregulated under salt stress. Taken together, these findings indicate that ‘Carménère’ achieves enhanced salt tolerance through a multilayered signaling regulatory network that coordinates physiological defense responses. This study provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the mechanisms of salt tolerance in grapevine and for the molecular breeding of salt-tolerant cultivars. Full article

Grapevine trunk diseases, particularly Botryosphaeria dieback, pose a major threat to vineyard sustainability, a risk that is further intensified by climate variability and increasing environmental stress. This study evaluated pathogenicity and bacterial biocontrol efficacy against Neofusicoccum parvum and Diplodia seriata under vineyard conditions, analyzing the combined effects of cultivar (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc), tissue type (young shoots and lignified arms), and phenological season (autumn/winter and spring/summer). Pathogenicity assays revealed clear tissue-age specialization: N. parvum was more aggressive in young shoots, whereas D. seriata caused the most severe vascular lesions in lignified wood. Seasonality further modulated disease expression, with higher lesion development during spring/summer, particularly for N. parvum in young shoots, while D. seriata maintained high aggressiveness in lignified tissues across both seasons. Berry assays provided a rapid initial assessment of isolate virulence but did not fully reflect pathogen behavior in woody tissue under field conditions. Biological treatments using native bacterial strains (Pseudomonas sp. AMCR2b, GcR15a, and Rhodococcus sp. PU4) significantly reduced lesion severity in V. vinifera under field conditions, although efficacy varied by tissue type and season. Biocontrol effects were generally more stable in lignified arms, and under high disease pressure, only the most robust strains maintained consistent protection, in some cases matching or surpassing the efficacy of the fungicide tebuconazole. These results show that both pathogenicity and biocontrol performance against Botryosphaeria dieback in V. vinifera under field conditions are strongly influenced by tissue type and season, supporting bacterial biocontrol as a sustainable component of integrated disease management in vineyards. Full article

Viticulture faces increasing challenges due to the susceptibility of Vitis vinifera L. to biotic and abiotic stresses, which trigger defense responses involving the synthesis of secondary metabolites. Untargeted metabolomics has become a powerful tool to explore these metabolic changes; however, the efficiency and reproducibility of metabolomic studies strongly depend on the extraction protocol used. Current literature shows variability in sample handling, solvent composition, and extraction conditions. This study aimed to optimize an extraction protocol for secondary metabolites in grapevine leaves to ensure high recovery of compounds relevant to untargeted metabolomics. Leaves of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo were collected, pooled, frozen, and ground under liquid nitrogen. A factorial design was used to evaluate the effects of sample mass, sample-to-solvent ratio, and solvent type on extraction efficiency. Extracts were analyzed using UHPLC-QTOF-MS in both positive and negative ionization modes, and multivariate statistical tools (PCA and OPLS-DA) were used to identify discriminant metabolites. Optimal extraction was achieved using 750 mg of leaf powder, a sample-to-solvent ratio of 100 mg/Ml, and methanol 80% acidified with 0.1% of formic acid. This protocol maximizes the recovery of metabolites and provides a robust basis for future untargeted metabolomics studies of grapevine responses. Full article

Phytoplasmas are obligate bacterial pathogens transmitted by phloem-feeding insects and responsible for severe diseases in numerous crops worldwide. In Iran, insect-associated phytoplasma transmission pathways remain poorly resolved, particularly at fine phylogenetic and vector-specific scales. Here, we investigated phytoplasma strains detected in four plant species, grapevine (Vitis vinifera), soybean (Glycine max), barberry (Berberis vulgaris), and the weed Conyza canadensis, and in three potential insect vectors (Tropidocephala prasina, Eysarcoris ventralis, and Nysius graminicola) collected from distinct agroecosystems across Iran. Phytoplasmas were characterized by using nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences and a multilocus dataset of protein-coding genes obtained through a targeted next-generation sequencing approach. Five phytoplasma strains belonging to ribosomal groups 16SrI, 16SrVI, 16SrIX, and 16SrXII were identified, including two novel ribosomal subgroups, 16SrI-AS and 16SrIX-K. Several previously unreported plant–phytoplasma and insect–phytoplasma associations were documented. Comparative phylogenetic analyses revealed that ribosomal and multilocus markers capture complementary evolutionary signals, with protein-coding genes providing additional resolution beyond 16S-based classification. These findings highlight the potential role of diverse hosts and polyphagous insects, not yet confirmed as vectors, in phytoplasma circulation and underscore how high-throughput next-generation sequencing and multilocus approaches advance our understanding of phytoplasma diversity and evolution. Full article

The growing interest in sustainable food systems has spurred research into the valorisation of agro-industrial by-products as sources of bioactive compounds. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the phytochemical composition, bioactivity, biotransformation, and potential nutraceutical applications of by-products from chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) and grape (Vitis vinifera L.). Recent studies identify matrices such as chestnut leaves, shells, and burs, as well as grape pomace, skins, seeds, stems, and vine shoots, as rich in phenolic compounds, dietary fibres, vitamins, and minor bioactives, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Emerging evidence highlights the importance of gastrointestinal digestion and microbial biotransformation in modulating the bioavailability and biological efficacy of phenolic compounds, particularly fibre-bound phenolics. The review further discusses state-of-the-art analytical approaches for chemical characterisation, including chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods, as well as emerging strategies for extraction, encapsulation, and delivery to enhance stability and bioavailability. Finally, the integration of chestnut and grapevine by-products into nutraceuticals, functional foods, and natural preservatives is critically examined from technological, safety, regulatory, and sustainability perspectives. Overall, this synthesis underscores the potential of these underutilised biomass streams as multifunctional raw materials that support waste valorisation, resource efficiency, and the development of next-generation health-promoting ingredients aligned with circular bioeconomy principles. Full article

Water scarcity increasingly threatens viticulture in the Macaronesian region due to climatic variability and recurrent droughts. This study evaluated the physiological and productive responses of grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) to foliar applications of two amino acid-based biostimulants, pyroglutamic acid and pipecolic acid, under contrasting water availability conditions on Madeira Island, Portugal. Three non-irrigated treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design: T1 (no irrigation and no amino acids), T2 (pyroglutamic acid, without irrigation), and T3 (pipecolic acid, without irrigation), while conventional irrigation (T4) was included as a non-randomized reference. Agronomic parameters and UAV-derived multispectral and thermal data were analyzed during the 2023 (moderate drought) and 2024 (severe drought) growing seasons. Vegetation indices (NDVI, GNDVI, NDRE, NGRDI, and GLI) and the Simplified Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI_si) were used to assess canopy vigor and plant water status. In 2023, T4 showed significantly higher bunch number and total yield, whereas differences among non-irrigated treatments were not statistically significant. Nevertheless, T2 showed consistent numerical trends toward higher yield components and a comparatively more stable canopy thermal response than the untreated control. In 2024, severe drought reduced productivity across all treatments, with no significant difference detected. Yield components were generally strongly correlated, while CWSI_si was negatively associated with vegetation indices, particularly under moderate drought. The NGRDI demonstrated potential as a low-cost RGB-based indicator but requires cautious interpretation. Overall, pyroglutamic acid may represent a complementary strategy to irrigation and UAV-based precision monitoring in drought-prone viticulture, although confirmation through longer-term and higher-powered field studies is required. Full article

Historically, certain physiological behaviours were typically attributed to genetic factors. However, some grape varieties exhibit different responses depending on crop management and environmental conditions. The present study examines whether the physiological responses of grapevines traditionally attributed to genotypic traits (near-isohydric or near-anisohydric behaviour) can instead be substantially modified by canopy architecture. The objective was to determine how canopy management influences water relations (leaf water potential—Ψ_L), physiological plant responses (water use efficiency (WUE), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E) and photosynthetic (A) rates), and radiation interception efficiency (εi), particularly under warm Mediterranean conditions. To test this, two training systems were evaluated in a Syrah vineyard: a vertical shoot position (VSP1) and a sprawl (S1) system with 12 shoots·m⁻¹, under the same irrigation regime. The results showed that under stressed conditions (high vapor pressure deficit [VPD] and relatively lower Ψ_L, from −1.4 to −0.6 MPa), the S1 system—despite a similar leaf area index, LAI—exhibited lower gs values than those of the VSP1 system (10–30%), with plants closing their stomata to reduce water consumption and prevent their dehydration caused by steep E rates. Meanwhile, the VSP vines exhibited higher gs values (isohydric-like response), indicating higher E rates, which reduced their WUE and intrinsic water-use efficiency (IE). This strategy (similar to the anisohydric one) allowed the S1 treatment to obtain higher WUE and interception radiation efficiency (εi) ratios, even at low Ψ_L (more efficient), produced by the higher canopy demand (more exposed surface area [SA]). These contrasting behaviours indicate that sprawl systems can enhance radiation interception and WUE compared with vertical systems under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Full article

The global pollinator decline is linked to intensive farming and the high use of plant protection products (PPPs), necessitating risk assessment and mitigation. This study investigates the potential negative impacts of agricultural practices on pollinator health, specifically focusing on the effects of PPPs used in viticulture on the honey bee, Apis mellifera, despite grapevines’ lack of reliance on bee pollination. The beehives sampled were from two farms with vineyards under different management regimes: one transitioning from conventional to organic practices and an organic–biodynamic site with pollinator mitigation measures. Sampling was conducted during three phases, pre-, during, and post-PPP application, to evaluate biomarkers of neurotoxicity (AChE), detoxification enzymes (CaE, GST), metabolic stress (ALP), and immune markers (Lys, PO, proPO). Comparison between the organic–biodynamic farm and the transitioning one revealed a pattern suggesting significant neurotoxic effects in the transitioning farm characterised by a trend of decreased AChE activity during treatments and the subsequent induction of GST post exposure. Crucially, both PO and proPO were induced post treatment, but with a lower PO/proPO ratio compared to previous seasons, suggesting inefficient proPO activation and potentially weakened immune competence that could favour pathogen proliferation. Bee health appeared to deteriorate most at the transitioning farm post treatment, while the biodynamic site remained relatively stable; these differences are likely associated with legacy residues and drift, exacerbated by overwintering stress and summer heat. Given the specific environmental and management characteristics of these two farms, the results provide an indicative comparison of how different agronomic approaches may influence bee health. Moreover, these results support the multi-biomarker approach for detecting potential PPP impacts, suggesting that organic transitions and mitigation strategies could play a role in pollinator conservation. Full article

Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of grey mold in grapevine, remains one of the most economically important pathogens in viticulture and a key target for sustainable biocontrol strategies. This study evaluated the antagonistic potential of seven Trichoderma isolates (T1–T7), collected from the rhizosphere of grapevine in Morocco, using a combination of in vitro and in planta assays designed to capture multiple direct and indirect modes of action. The isolates exhibited variable levels of antagonism through competition, volatile organic compounds, extracellular metabolites, and elicitation responses. Preliminary in planta assays on detached grape berries further demonstrated that all selected isolates reduced lesion development, with preventive applications yielding the strongest protection. Overall, the study highlights the complementary and strain-specific mechanisms underlying Trichoderma & B. cinerea interactions and underscores the importance of isolate selection and application timing for the development of effective and environmentally friendly grey mold management strategies. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for the future evaluation of promising isolates under vineyard conditions. Full article

Perception in trellised orchards is often challenged by dense canopy occlusion and overhead plastic coverings, which cause pronounced variations in sky visibility at row terminals. Accurately recognizing row terminals, including both row head and row tail positions, is therefore essential for understanding orchard row structures. This study presents SkySeg-Net, a sky segmentation-based framework for row-terminal recognition in trellised orchards. SkySeg-Net is built on an enhanced multi-scale U-Net architecture and employs ResNeSt residual split-attention blocks as the backbone. To improve feature discrimination under complex illumination and occlusion conditions, the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) is integrated into the downsampling path, while a Pyramid Pooling Module (PPM) is introduced during upsampling to strengthen multi-scale contextual representation. Sky regions are segmented from both front-view and rear-view camera images, and a hierarchical threshold-based pixel-sum analysis is applied to infer row-terminal locations based on sky-region distribution patterns. To support a comprehensive evaluation, a dedicated trellised vineyard dataset was constructed, featuring front-view and rear-view images and covering three representative grapevine growth stages (BBCH 69–71, 73–77, and 79–89). Experimental results show that SkySeg-Net achieves an mIoU of 91.21% and an mPA of 94.82% for sky segmentation, with a row-terminal recognition accuracy exceeding 98.17% across all growth stages. These results demonstrate that SkySeg-Net provides a robust and reliable visual perception approach for row-terminal recognition in trellised orchard environments. Full article

To alleviate cadmium (Cd) stress and reduce Cd uptake in fruit trees, the effects of dopamine (100 μmol/L, based on previous studies) and strigolactone analog GR24 (1 μmol/L, based on previous studies) on the growth and Cd accumulation of grapevines under Cd stress (5 mg/L, based on preliminary study) were investigated. Compared with control, Cd treatment inhibited grapevine growth by decreasing the plant height, root length, biomass, and photosynthetic capacity. In contrast, under Cd stress, treatments with dopamine or GR24 increased the plant height, root length, biomass, and photosynthetic capacity compared with Cd treatment. Dopamine and GR24 treatments also affected the activities of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) and the levels of osmotic regulatory substances (soluble protein, proline, and soluble sugar) in different ways. Moreover, dopamine and GR24 treatments reduced the Cd content and translocation factor in grapevines under Cd stress. Specifically, compared with Cd treatment, dopamine treatment reduced root Cd content by 18.92% and shoot Cd content by 35.18%, whereas GR24 treatment reduced root Cd content by 10.93% and shoot Cd content by 22.61%. In conclusion, both dopamine and GR24 treatments can mitigate Cd stress, promote growth, and reduce Cd uptake in grapevines. Full article

Viticulture is a vital sector of agriculture and economy exhibiting susceptibility to climate change, particularly in the Mediterranean regions. The present investigation examines the climatic suitability for vineyards development in Greece by exploiting geomorphological and bioclimatic data for the reference climatic period 1970–2000. The data is sourced from the ERA5-Land dataset and analyzed with R. The objective is to create a specific crop suitability map based on a simple, transparent model implemented through coding. This map identifies the climatically suitable areas for grapevine cultivation during the reference period. Results demonstrate that the model is highly adaptable, as both variable thresholds and areas of interest can be modified, while incorporating future climate scenarios can be performed, allowing for dynamic reconfiguration. According to the mapped climatic suitability, 55.1% of Greece is rated 3.5–4.0, and 12.9% is rated 4.0–4.5. The total suitability over Greece is calculated with a score of 3.5–4.0 for the 50.9% of total area, and for a score of 4.0–4.5, the covered area is 12.9%. Considering the Corine Land Cover classification as the reference land cover dataset, the false-negative areas (the model indicates that an area with vines is not suitable) are only 1.5% of the areas defined as viticultural. By providing clear and accurate spatial information, the model supports informed decision-making and the development of adaptation strategies, enhancing, therefore, the resilience and sustainability of viticulture in the context of climate change. Full article