Grape Wood Research Articles

Effect of propane blending with grape wood producer gas on SI engine performance and optimization

By using the alternate fuels, spark-ignition engines can significantly lower exhaust emissions. Producer gas (PG), produced through biomass gasification, is one of the most effective alternate fuel in gaseous form. However, employing neat PG to fuel SI engines results low power and efficiency. Hence, in this study, the novel approach of blending grape wood-based producer gas with propane as fuel has been investigated to increase the power and efficiency of SI engines with reducing pollutants. To accomplish this, quasi-dimensional thermodynamic modelling was employed with two-zone (burn and unburn zone) combustion model to simulate SI engine performance at 1500 rpm. Satisfactory model validation was observed by utilizing an experimental report and thereafter the simulation was run as per the Design of Experiment’s RSM strategy to envisage parametric impacts and confirm multi-objective optimization. To enhance the SI engine performance, equivalence ratio (ER), compression ratio (CR), ignition timing (IT), and propane blending fraction (BF) with PG were considered as parametric operating settings. Also, to determine best operating condition, an optimization was conducted with best response of performance regarding Brake-thermal efficiency (BTE), Brake-mean effective pressure (BMEP), Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), and emissions reduction of Carbon monoxide (CO), Nitrous monoxide (NO). Response regressions were modelled using ANOVA, and optimal output responses were predicted accurately using RSM-based response optimizer. The optimal responses were 27.47 % BTE, 7.51(bars) BMEP, 0.3153 (kg/kWh) BSFC and emissions of 1.16(V%) CO and 1407.5(ppm) NO, with an observed composite desirability of 0.859. The corresponding optimal independent operating parameters were 79.9 % BF, 1.032 ER, 13.99 CR and 41.428 (⁰BTDC-CA) IT. Moreover, to determine the minimum utilization of propane for best response of engine performance an additional case of multi-objective optimization revealed optimum BF to be 46.14 V%. Overall, it was found that blending and optimization strategies provided improvement in SI engine performance.

Eco-friendly biosorbent for lead removal: Activated carbon produced from grape wood

This study looked into the removal of heavy metals from aqueous systems using carbon obtained from grape wood, an agricultural waste. Activated carbon was created by pyrolyzing and activating grape wood. Characterization of the material showed a highly porous structure with a large number of surface oxygen groups. In batch investigations, optimal conditions (pH 5, 25 °C, 100 mg L−1 starting Pb2+) resulted in an all-out lead uptake capability of 135.7 mg g−1. In 60 min, over 90% of the material was removed at a pseudo-second-order rate of 1.894 × 10−4 g mg-1 min-1. Adsorption had an all-out capability of 293.7 mg g−1, which was in line with the Sips model. Positive enthalpy (70.88 kJ mol−1) and entropy (0.2546 kJK−1mol−1) values from the thermodynamic analysis suggested chemisorption. Using HCl, the adsorbent could be renewed up to five times.

Unlocking the potential of rhizobacteria in Moroccan vineyard soils: Biocontrol of grapevine trunk diseases and plant growth promotion

Rhizospheric bacteria isolated from the root system of Vitis vinifera plants in Morocco were evaluated for their activities against fungi associated with grapevine trunk diseases namely Diplodia mutila, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, Trichothecium roseum, and Neopestalotiopsis vitis. Those pathogens cause grapevine decline and impede growth and are known as the greatest threat to production worldwide. Among a collection of 196 rhizobacteria, twenty-four isolates exhibited potential antifungal activity against all the tested fungal pathogens. Based on the partial 16S rDNA genes, different genera were identified namely Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, Ensifer, and Brucella. In particular, Bacillus halotolerans (JFM-64 and JMS-14), Pseudomonas koreensis (JRSK-45), and Ensifer adhaerens (JRSK-84) were found to be the most effective strains. Furthermore, the potential of bacterial isolates to promote plant growth was assessed. The funding revealed that of twenty-four antagonist rhizobacteria, seventeen displayed protease and chitinase production, while fifteen, thirteen, and twelve bacteria demonstrated the production of amylase, cellulase, and pectinase respectively. Furthermore, thirteen bacterial isolates produced hydrocyanic acid (HCN), sixteen isolates harbor the ability to solubilize tricalcium phosphate and seventeen were able to produce siderophores and indole acetic acid (IAA). The results of the current study showed that the most effective bacterial isolates could exhibit traits other than Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). Our results showed that the bacterization of B. napus seedlings with the selected bacteria improved plant growth when compared to untreated controls. Autoclaved grape wood assays were used to further confirm the in vitro results. The growth of Diplodia mutila, Neopestalotiopsis vitis, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, and Trichothecium roseum was effectively reduced by rhizobacterial isolate Pseudomonas koreensis (JRSK-45) by 97.31, 97.14, 94.17, and 91.91%, respectively. This study highlights the potential of specific rhizobacteria as a promising approach to controlling fungal trunk pathogens associated with grapevine decline.

The potency and effectiveness of six essential oils in controlling grapevine trunk diseases in Morocco

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity (AA) of essential oils (EOs) extracted from Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (Eucalyptus), Citrus limonum (L.) Burm. (Lemon), Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume. (Cinnamon), Lavandula latifolia aspic (Lavender), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Rosemary), and Mentha spicata L. (Peppermint) against four pathogenic fungi responsible for grapevine trunk diseases in Moroccan vineyards. The EOs with the highest in vitro efficacy were selected for further testing on autoclaved grape wood assays against Diplodia mutila, Neoscytalidium novaehollandiae, Trichothecium roseum, and Neopestalotiopsis vitis. The major chemical constituents of the tested EOs were determined through GasChromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, and their relative percentages were recorded. All tested EOs demonstrated significant antifungal activity against the four pathogens, as evidenced by in vitro results. Redundancy analysis (RDA) confirmed the efficacy of the tested EOs against grapevine fungal pathogens. The efficacy of each EO varied depending on the pathogen being targeted. For example, lavender had the highest efficacy across EOs (81.37%) against T. roseum, while peppermint was the most effective in inhibiting D. mutila (47.45%). Cinnamon was the most effective EO in controlling N. vitis (73.33%), while rosemary had the best effect in controlling N. novaehollandiae (56.79%), with the most effective EC50 value (8.66 µL/ml) being attributed to the rosemary EO. The in vitro results were further confirmed through autoclaved grape wood assays, with inhibition of proliferation ranging between 93.14% and 66.32%. These findings represent a novel application of EOs extracted from various medicinal plants to control fungal diseases in grapevine plantations.

Kinetic and isotherm studies on the removal of reactive Red 2 from aqueous solutions using phosphoric acid activated carbon

Abstract In the current study, an alternative precursor for the production of activated carbon (AC) is introduced using grape wood. The AC structures and functional groups were studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The efficiency of prepared AC has been investigated in the removal of Reactive Red 2 (RR2) from an aqueous solution. The effect of main variables, namely dye concentration (100–500 mg L−1), contact time (10–90 min), adsorbent dosage (0.25–12.25 g L−1), and initial pH (3–11) have been assessed on the adsorption process in order to find out the optimum conditions. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin adsorption isotherm models were applied to describe the characteristics of adsorption behavior. Kinetic data were fitted to pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intra-particle diffusion models. Based on the results, the highest removal efficiency (97.96%) of RR2 dye was obtained at an initial concentration of 100 mg L−1, adsorbent dose of 12.25 g, contact time of 90 min, and pH 3, which indicated a significant sorption efficiency. The rate of the adsorption fitted well to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.99). In addition, the Temkin adsorption isotherm model was found to fit the experimental data (R2 = 0.99).

X-ray imaging of 30year old wine grape wood reveals cumulative impacts of rootstocks on scion secondary growth and Ravaz index.

Annual rings from 30year old vines in a California rootstock trial were measured to determine the effects of 15 different rootstocks on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon scions. Viticultural traits measuring vegetative growth, yield, berry quality, and nutrient uptake were collected at the beginning (1995 to 1999) and end (2017 to 2020) of the lifetime of a vineyard initially planted in 1991 and removed in 2021. X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was used to measure ring widths in 103 vines. Ring width was modeled as a function of ring number using a negative exponential model. Early and late wood ring widths, cambium width, and scion trunk radius were correlated with 27 traits. Modeling of annual ring width shows that scions alter the width of the first rings but that rootstocks alter the decay of later rings, consistently shortening ring width throughout the lifetime of the vine. Ravaz index, juice pH, photosynthetic assimilation and transpiration rates, and instantaneous water use efficiency are correlated with scion trunk radius. Ultimately, our research indicates that rootstocks modulate secondary growth over years, altering physiology and agronomic traits. Rootstocks act in similar but distinct ways from climate to modulate ring width, which borrowing techniques from dendrochronology, can be used to monitor both genetic and environmental effects in woody perennial crop species.

DNA-metabarcoding analyses of the grapevine wood fungal community in the Krasnodar Region and Crimea

Grapes are an economically important agricultural plant. Studies of the Grapevine microbiota and rhizosphere have become increasingly important in the last decade. The importance of such research is also supported by the fact that grapes are a perennial, long-used crop.
 In this work, we present the results of a DNA-metabarcoding analysis of the fungal community of grape wood, collected from vineyards in the Krasnodar Territory and the Southern Coast of Crimea, and considered approaches to the analysis of DNA-metabarcoding data. Classifier is Nave base (sklearn) based on machine learning is more informative metagenomic data classifier than BLAST+ (local alignment) and Vsearch (global alignment). Analysis of the ITS locus revealed the largest number of taxa, which was confirmed for all types of classifiers used in the study. Primers for the ITS locus showed a high specificity of fungal DNA in comparison with the LSU and SSU loci. The most common genera in the fungal community are Acidea, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Fusarium. Significant differences were revealed in the assessment of alpha and beta diversity in the analysis of samples from different regions. This article presents an analysis of the wood grapevine fungal community and ways to ASV classification. This study is the first to describe the endophytic fungal communities of the Krasnodar Territory and the Crimea vines using the analysis of DNA metabarcoding data.

DETECTION OF VIRUSES OF THE RUGOSE WOOD COMPLEX ON VINEYARDS OF THE ODESSA REGION

DETECTION OF VIRUSES OF THE RUGOSE WOOD COMPLEX ON VINEYARDS OF THE ODESSA REGION

Methylene blue removal using prepared activated carbon from grape wood wastes: adsorption process analysis and modeling

AbstractAn adsorption study has been conducted for activated carbon obtained from grape wood wastes to assess their capability to remove methylene blue (MB) from the aqueous solutions. The properties of prepared activated carbon were characterized using FTIR, BET and SEM analyses. The effects of independent variables such as initial concentration of MB (100–500 mg L−1), initial pH of solution (3–11), adsorbent dosage (0.25–12.25 g L−1) and contact time (10–90 min) on the MB adsorption have been optimized using response surface methodology. The highest MB removal efficiency was 98% when pH, MB and adsorbent dosage were 11, 100 mg L−1 and 12.25 g L−1, respectively. The experimental data have been tested using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and the achieved data were fully fitted with the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.99), which indicates the monolayer adsorption. The adsorption kinetics were followed by the pseudo-second-order model with R2 of 0.99. This prepared activated carbon as a low-cost and eco-friendly adsorbent can be used widely for water and wastewater treatment.

Indaziflam sorption–desorption and its three metabolites from biochars- and their raw feedstock-amended agricultural soils using radiometric technique

This study aimed to characterize the effect of amending soils with biochars derived from soybean residues, sugarcane bagasse, and wood chips on the sorption–desorption of indaziflam and indaziflam-triazinediamine (FDAT), indaziflam-triazine-indanone (ITI), and indaziflam-carboxylic acid (ICA) metabolites applied to soils from three Midwestern U.S. states, a silt loam and a silty clay loam. Biochars produced from different feedstock were used as soil amendments and compared with raw feedstock. Sorption–desorption experiments of indaziflam and its three metabolites were performed using the batch equilibration method and analyzed for 14C activity by liquid scintillation counting (radiometric technique). In all soils, the use of organic amendments promoted greater sorption and less desorption of indaziflam and ITI. The addition of biochar to soils promoted greater sorption of the four tested chemical products compared with the corresponding raw materials. Among the biochars, grape wood chips showed greater potential in sorb indaziflam and ITI. In general, none of the biochars affected the sorption and desorption of FDAT and ICA. Characterization of biochar to be used as a soil amendment (immobilizer) is highly recommended prior to field addition to optimize the sorption process and to prevent increased soil and water contamination of indaziflam and its metabolites following biochar addition.

Two New Putative Plant Viruses from Wood Metagenomics Analysis of an Esca Diseased Vineyard.

The concept of plant as a holobiont is now spreading among the scientific community and the importance to study plant-associated microorganisms is becoming more and more necessary. Along with bacteria and fungi, also viruses can play important roles during the holobiont-environment interactions. In grapevine, viruses are studied mainly as pathological agents, and many species (more than 80) are known to be able to replicate inside its tissues. In this study two new viral species associated with grape wood tissues are presented, one belongs to the Potyviridae family and one to the Bunyavirales order. Due to the ability of potyviruses to enhance heterologous virus replication, it will be important to assess the presence of such a virus in the grapevine population to understand its ecological role. Furthermore, the association of the cogu-like virus with esca symptomatic samples opens new questions and the necessity of a more detailed characterization of this virus.

Low-cost activated carbon: characterization, decolorization, modeling, optimization and kinetics

Grape wood activated carbon (GWAC) as a cost-effectiveness and nontoxic adsorbent was developed for methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was characterized using SEM, BET, FTIR and pHZPC. Design of experiments, modeling and optimization of data were carried out using central composite design through response surface methodology. The effects of the main variables including initial dye concentration (100–500 mg/L), pH (3–11), contact time (10–90 min) and adsorbent dosage (0.25–12.25 g/L) on the decolorization were investigated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The efficiency of MB removal increased to more than 98.5% with increasing pH and contact time from 3 to 11 and 10 to 90 min, respectively, under 0.25–12.25 g/L of GWAC. The experimental data were fitted to Langmuir model (R2 = 0.98), and the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) was 4.82 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second order (R2 = 0.9485). This study highlighted grape wood waste as a suitable adsorbent with high efficiency for the removal of methylene blue from water and wastewater.

Understanding Activation Effects on Low-Temperature Biochar for Optimization of Herbicide Sorption

Activation treatments are often used as a means of increasing a biochar’s sorption capacity for agrochemical compounds but can also provide valuable insight into sorption mechanisms. This work investigates the effects of H2O2 activation on a low-temperature (350 °C) grape wood biochar, evaluates subsequent changes to the removal efficiency (RE) of cyhalofop and clomazone, and elucidates potential sorption mechanisms. Activation by H2O2 decreased the biochar pH, ash content, and C content. Additionally, the biochar O content and surface area increased following activation, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data suggested a slight increase in surface O groups and a decrease in aliphatic C. Cyhalofop RE significantly increased following activation, while clomazone RE was unchanged. The increased sorption of cyhalofop was attributed to pH effects and charge-based interactions with biochar O moieties. Results from this study suggest that H2O2 activation treatments on low-temperature biochars may improve the removal of organic acid herbicides but are of little value in optimizing the removal of polar, non-ionizable herbicides.

A Ready-to-Use Single- and Duplex-TaqMan-qPCR Assay to Detect and Quantify the Biocontrol Agents Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma gamsii.

Trichoderma asperellum strain icc012 and Trichoderma gamsii strain icc080, the microbial active ingredients of RemedierTM (ISAGRO, Novara, Italy), are biocontrol agents (BCAs) employable for crop protection against a wide range of fungal pathogens, including soil-borne pathogens and fungi involved in grapevine trunk disease. In this study, single and duplex real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) methods to detect and quantify T. asperellum and T. gamsii were developed. Primers/probe sets were designed on the T. asperellum and T. gamsii rpb2 genes and tested for specificity on a panel of microorganisms commonly associated with grape wood and soil. No differences were observed comparing single- and duplex-qPCR assays on different BCAs, 1 pg of target DNA was detected approximately at Cq = 34. R2-values and the efficiency were always equal to 0.99 and >80%, respectively. The detection limit of the duplex-qPCR assay on artificially inoculated samples was 2 × 103 and 4 × 104 conidia g-1 of grape wood tissue and soil, respectively. The methods will be useful to better schedule BCA application in the field and in grapevine nurseries, as well as for investigating the dynamic of BCA populations.

Response to rearing in laboratory of the xylophagous grape pest, Xylotrechus arvicola (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

AbstractXylotrechus arvicola (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is an important pest in vineyards (Vitis vinifera) in the main Iberian wine‐producing regions. Larvae were reared with Semi‐Synthetic Iglesias (SSI) diet over 27 months and two generations in the laboratory. Larval mortality was highest during the first (49.49 %) and second (9.38 %) month of rearing, increasing to 50.52 % during the first month if F2 reared larvae were obtained from an F1 adult female obtained in laboratory. The diet had sufficient nutrients to enable the pest to complete its life cycle within nine months, with F1 larval viability ranging from 23.49 % to 27.97 % and F2 larval viability reduced to 2.07 %. However, the diet did not allow for the completion of additional life cycles and generations (F3, F4,…). Larval mortality increased as the months of rearing (66.13 %, 69.51 % and 89.50 %) and generations (59.10 % and 76.93 % in F1 and F2, respectively) progressed in the laboratory. The larva–adult period of females obtained in the laboratory was longer than for males. In the laboratory, the life cycle was shortened in relation to the life cycle in the field because larvae did not require a cold period to break diapause and start pupation. This indicates that X. arvicola has the potential to complete its life cycle inside grape wood in vineyards of wine‐producing regions with warmer winters.

Condition-dependent co-regulation of genomic clusters of virulence factors in the grapevine trunk pathogen Neofusicoccum parvum.

The ascomycete Neofusicoccum parvum, one of the causal agents of Botryosphaeria dieback, is a destructive wood-infecting fungus and a serious threat to grape production worldwide. The capability to colonize woody tissue, combined with the secretion of phytotoxic compounds, is thought to underlie its pathogenicity and virulence. Here, we describe the repertoire of virulence factors and their transcriptional dynamics as the fungus feeds on different substrates and colonizes the woody stem. We assembled and annotated a highly contiguous genome using single-molecule real-time DNA sequencing. Transcriptome profiling by RNA sequencing determined the genome-wide patterns of expression of virulence factors both in vitro (potato dextrose agar or medium amended with grape wood as substrate) and in planta. Pairwise statistical testing of differential expression, followed by co-expression network analysis, revealed that physically clustered genes coding for putative virulence functions were induced depending on the substrate or stage of plant infection. Co-expressed gene clusters were significantly enriched not only in genes associated with secondary metabolism, but also in those associated with cell wall degradation, suggesting that dynamic co-regulation of transcriptional networks contributes to multiple aspects of N. parvum virulence. In most of the co-expressed clusters, all genes shared at least a common motif in their promoter region, indicative of co-regulation by the same transcription factor. Co-expression analysis also identified chromatin regulators with correlated expression with inducible clusters of virulence factors, suggesting a complex, multi-layered regulation of the virulence repertoire of N. parvum.

Effectiveness of Natural Antifungal Compounds in Controlling Infection by Grapevine Trunk Disease Pathogens through Pruning Wounds.

Grapevine trunk fungal pathogens, such as Diplodia seriata and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, can infect plants through pruning wounds. They cause grapevine trunk diseases and are involved in grapevine decline. Accordingly, the protection of pruning wounds is crucial for the management of grapevine trunk diseases. The efficacy of different natural antifungals in inhibiting the growth of several fungi causing grapevine trunk diseases was evaluated in vitro. The fungi showing greater in vitro efficacy were tested on autoclaved grape wood assays against D. seriata and P. chlamydospora. Based on results from these assays, chitosan oligosaccharide, vanillin, and garlic extract were selected for further evaluation on pruning wounds inoculated with D. seriata and P. chlamydospora in field trials. A significant decrease in plant mortality was observed after 2 years of growth in the plants treated with the different natural antifungals compared to the mortality rate observed in infected plants that were not treated with antifungals. Also, the infection rate for the inoculated pathogens was significantly reduced in plants treated with the selected natural antifungals. Therefore, natural antifungals represent a promising alternative for disease control and could provide significant economic benefits for the grape-growing industry.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of pressurized liquid extracts from oenological woods

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of a collection of oenological woods extracts (non-toasted and toasted American oak wood, non-toasted and toasted French oak wood, non-toasted and toasted Rumanian oak wood, chestnut, cherry and wine grape wood) isolated by pressurized liquid extraction in order to control the microbial spoilage of wines. Inhibition of the growth of six wine lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Lactobacillus hilgardii CIAL-49, Lactobacillus casei CIAL-52, Lactobacillus plantarum CIAL-92, Pedioccocus pentosaceus CIAL-85, Oenococcus oeni CIAL-91 and CIAL-96), two acetic acid bacteria (AAB) (Acetobacter aceti CIAL-106 and Gluconobacter oxydans CIAL-107) and three Brettanomyces yeast (Brettanomyces bruxellensis CIAL-108, CIAL-109 and CIAL-110) by the oenological wood extracts was assessed. The antioxidant activity and the total phenol index of wood extracts were also evaluated. Results confirmed differences in bacteria and yeast susceptibility to oenological wood extracts among different genera and species. Among them, AAB were especially sensitive to the phenolic inactivation from oenological woods extracts. Contrarily, amongst LAB, L. hilgardii CIAL-49 was the most resistant strain to the action of the wood extracts. Cherry wood was active against 9 of the 11 strains tested meanwhile French, Rumanian oak wood and chestnut show the lowest values of IC50 for A. aceti CIAL-106. No significant correlation was found between antimicrobial activity either with antioxidant activity or with the total phenol content, suggesting that structure-function of the phenolic extracts has a greater influence on the antimicrobial activity than the total phenol content.

Pathogenesis ofEutypa latain Grapevine: Identification of Virulence Factors and Biochemical Characterization of Cordon Dieback

Eutypa lata is a vascular pathogen of woody plants. In the present study we (i) determined which component(s) of the cell wall polymers were degraded in naturally infected grapevines and in artificially inoculated grape wood blocks; (ii) compared the pattern of wood decay in the tolerant grape cv. Merlot versus the susceptible cv. Cabernet Sauvignon; and (iii) identified secondary metabolites and hydrolytic enzymes expressed by E. lata during wood degradation. Biochemical analyses and a cytochemical study indicated that glucose-rich polymers were primary targets of E. lata. Structural glucose and xylose of the hemicellulose fraction of the plant cell wall and starch were depleted in infected woods identically in both cultivars. Moreover, the more tolerant cv. Merlot always had more lignin in the wood than the susceptible cv. Cabernet Sauvignon, indicating that this polymer may play a role in disease resistance. In vitro assays demonstrated the production by E. lata of oxidases, glycosidases and starch degrading enzymes. Phytotoxic secondary metabolites were also produced but our data suggest that they may bind to the wood. Finally, we demonstrated that free glucose in liquid cultures repressed primary but not secondary metabolism.

Synthesis and Activity of Grape Wood Phytotoxins and Related Compounds.

The synthesis of analogues and derivatives of two o-hydroxyphenylacetylenes, eutypine and sterehirsutinal, the main phytotoxins isolated from the culture medium of Eutypa lata and Stereum hirsutum, is reported. Two means of synthesis are described, based on cyclisation, oxidation, oxidative decarboxylation or reduction reactions, and producing o-hydroxyphenylacetylene or benzofuran derivatives. Some of these synthetic compounds were tested on grapevine callus in order to compare their toxicity with the natural analogues.