Berry Size Research Articles

The genomes of 204 Vitis vinifera accessions reveal the origin of European wine grapes

In order to elucidate the still controversial processes that originated European wine grapes from its wild progenitor, here we analyse 204 genomes of Vitis vinifera and show that all analyses support a single domestication event that occurred in Western Asia and was followed by numerous and pervasive introgressions from European wild populations. This admixture generated the so-called international wine grapes that have diffused from Alpine countries worldwide. Across Europe, marked differences in genomic diversity are observed in local varieties that are traditionally cultivated in different wine producing countries, with Italy and France showing the largest diversity. Three genomic regions of reduced genetic diversity are observed, presumably as a consequence of artificial selection. In the lowest diversity region, two candidate genes that gained berry–specific expression in domesticated varieties may contribute to the change in berry size and morphology that makes the fruit attractive for human consumption and adapted for winemaking.

Response and Ability of the Vines of Cultivar Storgozia to Recover after Hail Damage

A study was performed to determine the response and the ability to recover cultivar Storgozia after the extreme meteorological phenomenon mesocyclone registered in May 2018, accompanied by intense hail and hurricane wind. The hail damage impact on the actual fertility elements, the growing strength and the degree of shoots ripening, the yield quantitative and qualitative indicators, and the grape's chemical composition had been determined for the achieving of the objective. The study found that the damages by hail on the green parts of the vine in 2018 did not have a negative impact on the process of formation of inflorescences in the winter eyes and did not affect the vine productivity of cv. Storgozia in the following year. The damages caused by hail at the beginning of the growing season had little effect on the growing strength and the degree of shoot ripening. The leaves and leaf area (1.36 m2) of the main shoots are proven to be smaller in size in the year with hail, compared to the other two years, which reflects on the size of the leaves (3.38 m2) and leaf area of the lateral shoots, which are proven to be larger after the registered hail. The total leaf area per vine had remained almost the same in all three years, as the difference was only in the leaf area ratio of the main and lateral shoots in 2018 that did not result in disruption of the vital for the vine plant physiological and biochemical processes in the leaves. Hail had a considerable negative effect on the structure of the cluster, the berry size, the yield per vine. The overall assessment of the quality of the grapes from the three harvests shows that with varying degrees of evidence for the individual indicators, hail has a significant adverse effect on its chemical composition in terms of sugar, titratable acids, anthocyanins, and phenolic compounds.

Yield and nutrients of six cultivars of strawberries grown in five urban cropping systems

Urban populations may struggle to access health-promoting fresh fruits and vegetables, and urban agriculture approaches are of increasing interest. In this study, we used five cropping systems for urban environments to produce strawberry fruit, a popular and high-value fruit. Two green roof systems, a hydroponic system, an aquaponic system, and a raised bed system were used to grow six strawberry cultivars: ‘Albion,’ ‘Eversweet,’ ‘Monterey,’ ‘Portola,’ ‘San Andreas’ and ‘Seascape.’ We measured total mass of fruit, marketable mass, size, percentage rotted fruit and mineral content. We found productivity and aspects of fruit quality to vary among cultivars within a cropping system and the best performers in one cropping system may not be the best in another. The most consistent result was that ‘Portola’ was among the best yielding cultivars in all systems, although ‘Monterey’ had reasonably good production in most systems, good berry size in the green roof pots and raised beds, and good mineral content in the aquaponic system. ‘Monterey’ and ‘Portola’ had higher amounts of calcium, silicon and sodium in the aquaponic system than other cultivars. ‘San Andreas’ had higher amounts of copper, potassium, phosphorus and silicon in the hydroponic system. ‘Portola,’ ‘Seascape’ and ‘Eversweet’ had higher amounts of copper and zinc in the green roof planters and ‘Eversweet’ also had higher amounts of zinc and calcium in the raised beds. Given the spatial and financial constraints in urban systems and the variability of performance among cultivars, the cropping system should be selected before the cultivar.

Changes in Berry Tissues in Monastrell Grapevines Grafted on Different Rootstocks and Their Relationship with Berry and Wine Phenolic Content.

Monastrell grapevines grafted on the rootstocks 140Ru, 1103P, 41B, 110R, and 161-49C were subjected to regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and partial root-zone irrigation (PRI). We analyzed the effects of the rootstock and irrigation method on the phenolic concentration in different berry tissues, its dilution/concentration due to the berry size, the anatomical and morphological traits of berries related to the phenolic compounds concentration, and the relationships of all these parameters with the final berry and wine phenolic content. The rootstock had an important effect on the accumulation of total phenolic compounds and anthocyanins in the skin (berries from 110R and 140Ru had the highest values). Moreover, the rootstock modified some anatomical and morphological characteristics that had a direct relationship with the final phenolic compounds concentration in the must. Large grapes and high must percentages (110R and 140Ru) produced a dilution effect, whereas small berries and a low must percentage increased the concentration (161-49C). For 110R, the small size of the cells of the epidermis and hypodermis in the grapes also could have contributed to the high phenolic compounds concentration in the skin. The percentage of cells in the skin with a uniform coloration was positively correlated with its total phenolic compounds and anthocyanins concentration and also with the phenolic quality of the wine. The PRI modified some specific morphological/anatomical skin/berry traits, and these may have contributed to important changes in the final concentration of phenolic compounds, depending on the rootstock. The better phenolic quality of the must and wines observed in some rootstocks under PRI could be due to smaller cells in the epidermis and hypodermis of the skin (161-49C), a higher percentage of cells with a uniform coloration in the hypodermis (110R), or a lower number of seeds per berry (161-49C). In contrast, the lower phenolic compounds concentration in the must of grapes observed in the most vigorous rootstocks under PRI could be due to a greater thickness of the epidermis (140Ru), greater cuticle thickness (41B), a higher number of seeds (140Ru), a lower skin/pulp ratio and percentage of skin (140Ru), a greater percentage of cells in the epidermis without coloration or with large inclusions, and a lower percentage of cells with a uniform coloration in the epidermis (140Ru). The final quality of the grape is related to some changes in histological and morphological aspects of the grape produced by the rootstock and irrigation strategy.

Influence of Plant Growth Regulators to Improve the Colour and Sugar Content of Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.). cv. Red Globe

Studies on Effect of plant growth regulators to improve the colour and sugar content of Grapes” (Vitis vinifera L.).cv. Red Globe was conducted in the field of a progressive grape grower at Kaalampalyam (10 O 58’49.17” N and 76 O 55’ 15. 81”E and elevation of 1352 ft from MSL) near Perur area of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu. The experiment was laid out in a randomized Block design with 7 treatments and each treatment was replicated four times. The data recorded on various parameters viz., vegetative growth, flowering, fruit yield, Quality etc., were statistically analysed. Significant differences were observed among the growth regulators on various vegetative growth parameters in Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.). cv. Red Globe. Among all the treatments, number of bunches per vine was significantly higher when sprayed with ethephon 200ppm (T4) compared to other treatments. (6.53 cm), the berry size and berry weight of the grapes were found to be maximum in the bunches treated with CCC 500ppm (T2) (6.57 g), There was no impact on the number of seeds by the treatments. The ethephon 200ppm (T4) treatment exhibited superior quality in terms of juice content, total sugars and colour value.

Effects of Berry Thinning on the Physicochemical, Aromatic, and Sensory Properties of Shine Muscat Grapes

The effects of the level of berry thinning (30% and 50% berry removal) on the quality and sensory properties of Shine Muscat grapes were investigated. As berry thinning increased, the total soluble solids content increased and titratable acidity decreased. Berry thinning increased berry size and cluster weight but caused no change in individual berry weight. Phenolic concentrations as measured by total phenolic, proanthocyanidin, and polymeric tannin concentrations tended to increase with an increase in berry thinning. Gas chromatographic analysis indicated that C6-compounds were the significant constituents of volatile alcohols and aldehydes; linalool was the most abundant monoterpene. Odor activity analysis indicated that (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, (E)-2-hexenal, 1-hexanal, (Z)-3-hexenal, (E)-β-damascenone, linalool, and (E)-linalool oxide were active odorants. Berry thinning increased the accumulation of linalool contributing to high sensory flavor scores in thinned berries. Furthermore, its oxidized derivative-linalool oxide-contributed to enhancing the Muscat flavor. In conclusion, berry thinning induced compositional changes in Shine Muscat grape berries by accelerating the ripening rate, contribution to improved sensory properties.

Grape Small Auxin Upregulated RNA (SAUR) 041 Is a Candidate Regulator of Berry Size in Grape.

Grape (Vitis vinifera) is an important horticultural crop that can be used to make juice and wine. However, the small size of the berry limits its yield. Cultivating larger berry varieties can be an effective way to solve this problem. As the largest family of auxin early response genes, SAUR (small auxin upregulated RNA) plays an important role in the growth and development of plants. Berry size is one of the important factors that determine grape quality. However, the SAUR gene family’s function in berry size of grape has not been studied systematically. We identified 60 SAUR members in the grape genome and divided them into 12 subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis. Subsequently, we conducted a comprehensive and systematic analysis on the SAUR gene family by analyzing distribution of key amino acid residues in the domain, structural features, conserved motifs, and protein interaction network, and combined with the heterologous expression in Arabidopsis and tomato. Finally, the member related to grape berry size in SAUR gene family were screened. This genome-wide study provides a systematic analysis of grape SAUR gene family, further understanding the potential functions of candidate genes, and provides a new idea for grape breeding.

Grape Berry Detection and Size Measurement Based on Edge Image Processing and Geometric Morphology

Counting grape berries and measuring their size can provide accurate data for robot picking behavior decision-making, yield estimation, and quality evaluation. When grapes are picked, there is a strong uncertainty in the external environment and the shape of the grapes. Counting grape berries and measuring berry size are challenging tasks. Computer vision has made a huge breakthrough in this field. Although the detection method of grape berries based on 3D point cloud information relies on scanning equipment to estimate the number and yield of grape berries, the detection method is difficult to generalize. Grape berry detection based on 2D images is an effective method to solve this problem. However, it is difficult for traditional algorithms to accurately measure the berry size and other parameters, and there is still the problem of the low robustness of berry counting. In response to the above problems, we propose a grape berry detection method based on edge image processing and geometric morphology. The edge contour search and the corner detection algorithm are introduced to detect the concave point position of the berry edge contour extracted by the Canny algorithm to obtain the best contour segment. To correctly obtain the edge contour information of each berry and reduce the error grouping of contour segments, this paper proposes an algorithm for combining contour segments based on clustering search strategy and rotation direction determination, which realizes the correct reorganization of the segmented contour segments, to achieve an accurate calculation of the number of berries and an accurate measurement of their size. The experimental results prove that our proposed method has an average accuracy of 87.76% for the detection of the concave points of the edge contours of different types of grapes, which can achieve a good edge contour segmentation. The average accuracy of the detection of the number of grapes berries in this paper is 91.42%, which is 4.75% higher than that of the Hough transform. The average error between the measured berry size and the actual berry size is 2.30 mm, and the maximum error is 5.62 mm, which is within a reasonable range. The results prove that the method proposed in this paper is robust enough to detect different types of grape berries.

Cluster Thinning Does Not Improve Fruit Composition in Grapevine Red Blotch Virus-infected Vitis vinifera L.

The impact of grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) on <i>Vitis vinifera</i> L. manifests predominantly as reductions in gas exchange, berry total soluble solids, and anthocyanins. Disease management is currently restricted by incomplete understanding of virus spread and is thus limited to vine removal. The present study investigated the potential of irrigation and cluster thinning to improve fruit quality in GRBV-infected Pinot noir vines. Two irrigation levels—grower standard and supplemental (2x grower standard)—were applied in a factorial combination with two cluster thinning levels—thinned to one cluster/shoot (at peppercorn-sized berries) and nonthinned (control)—on two different rootstocks: Riparia Gloire and 3309C. Vine growth, disease severity, and fruit composition were observed for three years to understand the potential effects of the treatments on GRBV-infected vines. Supplemental irrigation attenuated the proportion of red leaves, but thinning did not have a consistent effect. Supplemental irrigation increased yield by 16 to 23% and berry mass by 9 to 10% between rootstocks. Thinning clearly decreased yield, but it also increased berry mass by 4 to 11% between rootstocks. Supplemental irrigation increased gas exchange in 2020, yet thinning slightly reduced gas exchange. These impacts on gas exchange did not affect total soluble solids in the fruit at harvest. Increases in berry sugar content indicate that sugar import increased commensurately with berry size as a function of both increased irrigation and cluster thinning. Crop load (Ravaz index) exhibited a correlation with berry sugar for the Riparia Gloire rootstock only, suggesting that crop load adjustment has a limited impact on ripening for GRBV-infected vines. Neither irrigation nor thinning significantly impacted anthocyanin concentration, and the impact on other secondary metabolites was inconsistent. The respective increase or decrease in yield may determine whether the limited improvements of supplemental irrigation and thinning on fruit quality in GRBV-infected vines are beneficial.

The Effect of Water Deficit on Two Greek Vitis vinifera L. Cultivars: Physiology, Grape Composition and Gene Expression during Berry Development.

Plants are exposed to numerous abiotic stresses. Drought is probably the most important of them and determines crop distribution around the world. Grapevine is considered to be a drought-resilient species, traditionally covering semiarid areas. Moreover, in the case of grapevine, moderate water deficit is known to improve the quality traits of grape berries and subsequently wine composition. However, against the backdrop of climate change, vines are expected to experience sustained water deficits which could be detrimental to both grape quality and yield. The influence of water deficit on two Greek Vitis vinifera L. cultivars, ‘Agiorgitiko’ and ‘Assyrtiko’, was investigated during the 2019 and 2020 vintages. Vine physiology measurements in irrigated and non-irrigated plants were performed at three time-points throughout berry development (green berry, veraison and harvest). Berry growth and composition were examined during ripening. According to the results, water deficit resulted in reduced berry size and increased levels of soluble sugars, total phenols and anthocyanins. The expression profile of specific genes, known to control grape color, aroma and flavor was altered by water availability during maturation in a cultivar-specific manner. In agreement with the increased concentration of phenolic compounds due to water deficit, genes of the phenylpropanoid pathway in the red-skinned Agiorgitiko exhibited higher expression levels and earlier up-regulation than in the white Assyrtiko. The expression profile of the other genes during maturation or in response to water deficit was depended on the vintage.

Different visitation frequencies of native and non-native bees to vines: how much vegetation is necessary to improve fruit production?

Pollination is provided by biodiversity and maintains global food production. We investigated the effects of vegetation cover on the abundance of floral visitor and vine (Vitis labrusca Raf.) production. We expected an increase in both floral visitor frequencies and vineyard yields with an increase in native vegetation cover in the landscape. We also investigated different scenarios of visitor abundance with and without honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). We surveyed floral visitors from ten vineyard plots with different native cover surrounding them and related both visitors and native vegetation to fruit set. Considering some of these vineyards, we compared physical and chemical traits of berries to understand how they vary according to native vegetation. Floral visitor abundance was positively related to native vegetation cover. However, considering only native bee abundance, we found a dual (hyperbolic) response. Apis mellifera (L.) Africanized was the most abundant species and had the highest number of interactions; however, when removed from the network analysis, the relationship between vineyards and native bees became more specialized. The fruit size and mass of berries differed among vineyards, as did some chemical traits related to commercial quality of fruits, such as soluble solids, pH and flavonoids. Vineyards surrounded by intermediate areas of native vegetation present a balance between resource availability from vineyards and native vegetation. Apis and non-Apis (such as flies and small bees) floral visitors, known to have different effects on vine pollination, could hypothetically provide variation in vine production and quality. Considering a near 20% native vegetation increment, there was an enhancement, on average, of ten-fold more berries per bunch, the changing physical and chemical fruit traits by vegetation increment could also increase the aggregate value of vines and the value of pollination services in the economy.

Quantitative analysis of the berry size in grapevine cultivar ‘Italia’ •

AbstractQuantitative evaluation of the horticultural crops has high importance to identify cultivars, describe the effect of the growing location and cultivation technology or define consumer's preference regarding the size and shape. Fruit traits of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) are mainly described by the bunch and berry morphology notably bunch and berry size, weight and shape. Ampelographers particularly evaluate the berry based on the seed number as it influences size and consumers' decision. In this study, berry morphological traits of the grapevine cultivar ‘Italia’ was investigated based on digital image analysis. Samples were collected from two vineyards in Hungary with different ecological and cultivation circumstances. Altogether 12 traits were investigated: weight, seed number, size and shape attributes. Results showed that berry morphological traits – except from the shape attributes – are not differing between the two sampling locations. In accordance with previous studies, seed number – ranging from 0 to 4 – had noticeable effect on the size attributes.

Does water stress exacerbate the impacts of heat stress on berry development of Vitis vinifera cv. Semillon vines grown in controlled environment conditions?

ABSTRACT Anecdotal evidence suggested heat stress in grapevines can be reduced if vines are fully irrigated during a heat stress but only a few cultivars have been evaluated. Accordingly, Vitis vinifera L. cv. Semillon vines were grown in controlled environments and treated to a four-day 40°C heat event with and without water stress. Berry size, sugar content, gas exchange and water potentials were measured. Results indicated water stress was relatively mild, but berry growth was reversed when exposed to the heat event and water stress added to this effect whereas control berries continued growing. Similar results occurred with the sugar accumulation process, except sugar immediately stopped accumulating but heat plus water stress reduced the amount of berry sugar further. The stress treatments also impaired photosynthesis and more so when combined with water stress. While reductions in photosynthesis were mostly a result of stomatal closure, but perhaps also non-stomatal limitations, the reduced photoassimilates, especially of the heat plus water stressed vines, contributed to the lowered sugar amounts in the berries. These data strongly supported the conclusion that water stress exacerbated the effects of heat stress. The corollary is heat stress effects on vines will be ameliorated if no water stress is present.

Exogenous Calcium Delays Grape Berry Maturation in the White cv. Loureiro While Increasing Fruit Firmness and Flavonol Content.

Vineyard calcium (Ca) sprays have been increasingly used by grape growers to improve fruit firmness and thus maintain quality, particularly in periods of heavy rains and hail. The observation that Ca visibly modified berry size, texture, and color in the most prominent white cultivar of the DOC region ‘Vinhos Verdes’, cultivar (cv.) Loureiro, led us to hypothesize that Ca induced metabolic rearrangements that resulted in a substantial delay in fruit maturation. Targeted metabolomics by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and directed transcriptomics were thus combined to characterize the metabolic and transcriptional profiles of cv. Loureiro berries that, together with firmness, °Brix, and fruit weight measurements, allowed to obtain an integrated picture of the biochemical and structural effects of Ca in this cultivar. Results showed that exogenous Ca decreased amino acid levels in ripe berries while upregulating PAL1 expression, and stimulated the accumulation of caftaric, coutaric, and fertaric acids. An increase in the levels of specific stilbenoids, namely E-piceid and E-ω-viniferin, was observed, which correlated with the upregulation of STS expression. Trace amounts of anthocyanins were detected in berries of this white cultivar, but Ca treatment further inhibited their accumulation. The increased berry flavonol content upon Ca treatment confirmed that Ca delays the maturation process, which was further supported by an increase in fruit firmness and decrease in weight and °Brix at harvest. This newly reported effect may be specific to white cultivars, a topic that deserves further investigation.

Strawberry Crown Plugs Provide Flexibility and Improved Performance in Cold Climate Plasticulture Production

Annual plasticulture strawberry production has not been adopted as rapidly in cold climate regions as has occurred in warmer production areas due to uncertainty about potential benefits. Recent trials have demonstrated the potential of regionally adapted varieties in the annual plasticulture system in cold regions, but optimal production practices have not been determined. Summer planting of short-day varieties in these areas would increase flexibility for growers, allowing additional cropping options and improved land use management. The performance of six short-day strawberry varieties (Chandler, Clancy, Jewel, Ovation, Seneca and Ventana) was examined in a series of four annual production trials using cold-stored bare-root crowns for spring planting or a new type of planting stock termed a ‘crown plug’ for two summer plantings. Procedures for producing crown plugs from cold-stored crowns are described. The crown plug summer plantings significantly outperformed the spring planted bare-root plants across all varieties. The July planting established using crown plugs had higher yield and higher mean berry weight across all six varieties compared to the May bare-root planting (623 g/plant—12.5 g mean fruit weight vs. 330 g/plant—10.6 g mean fruit weight, respectively). In the July planting, ‘Seneca’, ‘Ventana’ and ‘Jewel’ exceeded the mean yield per plant for the planting as a whole and the other three varieties also produced more than previously reported for the May planting established with bare-root plants. The August crown plug planting was less productive than the July planting (623 g/plant vs. 498 g/plant, respectively) but was still more productive than both spring plantings. No difference was observed between the April and May plantings across the six varieties. Utilizing crown plugs also reduced the duration of weed control measures needed, improved efficiency of setting plants and limited the need for blossom and runner removal in the field, thus demonstrating labor cost savings that can offset the cost of crown plug production while also producing higher overall yield and mean fruit weight in the varieties in the trial. The summer plantings established with crown plugs demonstrated improved survival through a second winter dormancy period but produced relatively poor yield and berry size in the second harvest season. Crown plugs provide flexibility and improved productivity for growers utilizing annual plasticulture production in cold climate regions.

COMMERCIAL INDICATORS OF NEW INTRODUCED SPECIES OF GARDEN STRAWBERRY

The article presents the comprehensive studies results of fresh berries of garden strawberry of the introduced species&#x0D; Alba, Vibrant, Cupid, Matis, Hanoi, Elsanta in comparison with the zoned species Zenga-Zengana. &#x0D; In terms of hardness, all the studied species surpassed the standard Zenga-Zengana species (the average hardness was&#x0D; 2.6 N/cm2). The average content of soluble solids was 8.7 %. In terms of berry size (the average berry weight is more than 12 g), the species Alba, Vibrant, Cupid, Mathis, Hanoi, Elsanta are distinguished. The garden waste and losses in the studied&#x0D; strawberry species amounted to 2.3–3.5 %, which leads to small losses during processing. The studied species are heartshaped&#x0D; or round-shaped; the berry shape index ranged from 0.9 to 1.3. The size of berries in all studied species in terms&#x0D; of the largest transverse diameter was 27.4–34.4 mm. Fresh berries of all studied garden strawberry species had an attractive&#x0D; appearance and colour, juicy texture, pronounced aroma and good taste. The average degustation score ranged from 4.5 to 4.9.&#x0D; In the process of research, it was found that the garden strawberry species of the foreign selection Alba, Vibrant, Cupid,&#x0D; Mathis, Hanoi, Elsanta had high commercial qualities.

Production of blueberries in subtropical climate of altitude

Phenology and production potential studies are important to choose the cultivars more adapted to the climatic conditions of a region. The objective of this work was to evaluate the phenology, productivity and fruit quality of blueberry cultivars in subtropical climate of altitude, in three production cycles (2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015). Eight cultivars from rabbiteye (Aliceblue, Bluebelle, Bluegem, Briteblue, Climax, Delite, Powderblue and Woodard) and two from highbush (Georgiagem and O'Neal) groups was evaluated. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four replications and six plants per plot, with four useful plants. The beginning and the end of flowering, beginning and end of harvest, production, berry weight, berry size, pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity, ratio and skin color of blueberries were evaluated. The cultivars had flowering period from July to September, and concentrated harvest in November and December. ‘Bluegem’ presented the highest yields in the three evaluated cycles, reaching the production of 1215 g plant-1 in the third cycle. This cultivar also showed low acidity and high ratio. Berry size, pH and soluble solids contents were very close with some variations among the cultivars, in the three cycles evaluated. Coloring of the fruit presented few variations over the years of assessment. The most productive blueberry cultivar is the Bluegem, followed by cultivars Climax, Delite and Powderblue, of rabbiteye group, demonstrating better fit for cultivation in subtropical climate of altitude.

Productivity of garden strawberry and breeding possibilities to improve it

The information on the productivity trait of garden strawberry Fragaria × ananassa (Duchesne ex Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier has been summarized on the basis of literary sources. The productivity trait has a complex polygenic character. Independent inheritance of individual productivity components allows modeling their optimal combination in a new variety. The creation of highly productive varieties of strawberries is based on intraspecific hybridization. The established positive correlation between the size of berries and the yield indicates the possibility of increasing the productivity of varieties by using large-fruited forms in breeding. At present, in various zones of horticulture, researchers distinguish large-fruited varieties of domestic breeding: ‘Atlas', ‘Bereginya', ‘Vityaz', ‘Grenada', ‘Zabelinskaya', ‘Kemiya', ‘Nashe Podmoscovie', ‘Nelly', ‘Pervoklassnitsa', ‘Rusich', ‘Solnechnaya Polyanka', ‘Solovushka', ‘Festivalnaya Romashka', ‘Fruktovaya', ‘Tsaritsa', ‘Yaponka', and foreign breeding: ‘Alba', ‘Asia', ‘Elsanta', ‘Finesse', ‘Florense', ‘Vivaldi', ‘Galia', ‘Jive', ‘Joly', ‘M. Champion', ‘Merced', ‘Murano', ‘Onda', ‘Roxana', ‘Rumba', ‘Tarda Vicoda', ‘Vima Kimberly', ‘Vima Tarda', ‘Vima Rina', ‘Vima Xima'. It was noted that when using the inbreeding method, it is possible to achieve a heterotic effect on the basis of the productivity trait. The method of genetic modifications of plants is of great importance for breeding of complex quantitative traits of productivity, including yield. Expansion of the genetic base of garden strawberry by means of octoploid and polyploid forms of wild species will ensure an increase in the productivity of new varieties due to the inclusion of traits of adaptability to biotic and abiotic factors in the genotype. The use of modern research methods (screening of the metabolomic and biochemical profile, DNA certification, molecular labeling) increases the objectivity of research and the efficiency of the breeding process.

Same Season and Carry-Over Effects of Source-Sink Adjustments on Grapevine Yields and Non-structural Carbohydrates

The grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is managed to balance the ratio of leaf area (source) to fruit mass (sink). Over cropping in the grapevine may reveal itself as spontaneous fruit abortion, delayed ripening, or as alternate bearing. The aim of this work was to study the same season and carry-over effects of manipulating source to sink ratios on grapevine phenology, leaf gas exchange, yield components, berry soluble solids accumulation, and reserve carbohydrate and soluble sugar concentration in roots. Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines were subjected to defoliation (33, 66, and 100% of the leaves retained) and fruit removal treatments (33, 66, and 100% of clusters retained) arranged in a factorial design. Results from two seasons of source-sink manipulations were substantially different. In both seasons defoliation treatments affected season-long net carbon assimilation (AN) and stomatal conductance (gs) where the less leaves were retained, the greater the AN and gs, and fruit removal had no impact on leaf gas exchange. In the first season, leaf area to fruit mass was hardly related to berry soluble solids and in the second season they were strongly correlated, suggesting a degree of acclimation. Defoliation treatments had great impacts on berry size, berries per cluster, and total soluble solids in both years. Fruit removal treatments only had effects on berry mass and berries per cluster in the first season, and only on berry soluble solids in the second. The predominant effect of defoliation (carbon starvation) cascaded onto reducing root starch content, root mass and delaying of veraison and leaf senescence, as well as harvest which was delayed up to 9 weeks with 33% of the leaves retained. In a third season, where grapevines grew without treatments, defoliation treatments had resultant carryover effects, including reduced leaf area, number of berries per cluster, clusters per vine, and yield, but not on leaf gas exchange dependent on previous seasons' severity of defoliation. Balancing source-to-sink ratio is crucial to obtain an adequate speed of ripening. However, this was the culmination of a more complex whole-plant regulation where the number of leaves (source strength) outweighed the effects of fruits (sink strength).

Which Is More Sensitive to Water Stress for Irrigation Scheduling during the Maturation Stage: Grapevine Photosynthesis or Berry Size?

To better understand the sensitivity of berry size and grapevine photosynthesis to water stress, and determine the soil water potential (ψ) threshold for scheduling irrigation during the maturation stage, we simultaneously measured berry size with photographs, leaf net photosynthesis with a portable meter, and ψ with tensiometers during the drying cycles for grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.). Our results showed that in berry development stage III (maturation), photosynthesis was more sensitive to water stress than berry size. When ψ decreased beyond −13.2 ± 0.82 kPa, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and extrinsic (AN/E) and intrinsic (AN/gs) water use efficiency (WUE) decreased rapidly and did not recover thereafter. In contrast, the berry size remained close to unaffected by the decreasing ψ until it reached a value of −16.2 ± 0.77 kPa and, thereafter, the berry shrank significantly. In conclusion, we suggest that during the maturation stage of grapevines, for the potted mixture used in our experiments, irrigation should be triggered when the ψ reaches a value of −13.2 ± 0.82 kPa. Further, ψ should be kept lower than −6.9 ± 0.15 kPa after irrigation, because the highest values of intrinsic WUE (AN/gs) occurred when ψ decreased from −6.9 ± 0.15 to −14.6 ± 0.7 kPa. In arid areas, the threshold ψ should be considered as −16.2 ± 0.77 kPa during maturation to achieve high-efficiency use of water resources and sustainable production of grapevines.