Effects of Climate Change on Viticulture (Grape)

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change has many negative effects many countries economic sectors and viticulture is no exception. Temperature, drought, heat waves, new emerging diseases are some of the effects of climate change that negative impact in both on plant growth and product quality. Within the abiotic factors, drought stress is one of the major challenges, increasing the need to develop water stress resistant plants as well as new strategies (eg tailoring vineyard microbiome) to increase plant access to water. Climate change shows its impact in many different ways, within biotic stress, new emerging diseases as well as new outbreaks of well-established diseases create new challenges for viticulture, particularly when the reduction of pesticide application in the vineyards is a demand. Viticulture is one of the most polluting industries and thus the development of disease tolerant crossing hybrids, the identification of new molecules that prime grapevine immunity as well as the development of regenerative agriculture pratices are crucial New varieties that can adapt to changing climatic conditions urgently need to be developed with the help of modern techniques. However, in these studies, there is a need to develop stress-resistant species and varieties, rather than transgenic varieties, with marker-based selection and other identification techniques, paying attention to ethical issues as much as possible. In addition, in accordance with the increasing environmental and human health awareness, it is necessary to realize all these in accordance with the sustainable agriculture model.

Dr. Arif Atak
Dr. Andreia Figueiredo
Dr. Inmaculada Pascual
Dr. Fermin Morales
Topic Editors