Abstract
The effects of global warming on plants are not limited to the exacerbation of summer stresses; they could also induce dormancy dysfunctions. In January 2020, a bud break was observed in an old poly-varietal vineyard. Meteorological data elaboration of the 1951–2020 period confirmed the general climatic warming of the area and highlighted the particular high temperatures of the last winter. Phenological records appeared to be significantly correlated to wood hydration and starch reserve consumption, demonstrating a systemic response of the plant to the warm conditions. The eight cultivars, identified by single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiles and ampelographic description, grown in this vineyard showed different behaviors. Among them, the neglected Sprino, Baresana, Bianco Palmento, and Uva Gerusalemme, as well as the interspecific hybrid Seyve Villard 12.375, appeared to be the most interesting. Among the adaptation strategies to climate changes, the cultivar selection should be considered a priority, as it reduces the inputs required for the plant management over the entire life cycle of the vineyard. Hot Mediterranean areas, such as Salento, are a battlefront against the climate change impacts, and, thus, they represent a precious source of biodiversity for viticulture.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
The comparison between average values of the 1961/1990 and 1991/2020 normals highlights the warming of the current climate phase (Table 1a–c), as confirmed by the pattern of monthly average minimum and maximum temperature, showing a significant increase in November, March, and April in the case of minimum temperature and in all the six months for maximum temperatures
Frosts are strongly related to specific circulation patterns and show a high interannual variability
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Viticulture, and more generally agriculture, has to always deal with the variability of environmental conditions and with the effects of climate changes. The increase in temperature that has characterized the last 30 years in Europe [1,2,3] has affected the viticultural sector in different ways and cannot be approached in a generalized way. In the temperate zone, climate change could lead to positive effects on grapevine production [4]. Different responses should be expected in each viticultural area, as highlighted by Santos et al [5] and Malheiro et al [6] in their studies concerning the current and future effects of climate change over Europe. Van Leeuwen and Darriet [7]
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