Romanian Varieties Research Articles

Assessment of stability for some yield components in wheat under different fertilizations on saline soil

Salt-affected soils constrain wheat production in many countries. It is estimated that more than 831 million hectares (Mha) are salt affected globally, with 10 Mha of cultivated land lost annually. Salinity adversely affects wheat grain yield and grain quality traits. Wheat genotypes show wide variation for salinity stress tolerance. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and stability of spike traits in 14 winter wheat varieties with different origin, in order to identify the varieties that can exploit the growing conditions of saline soils. The wheat material was tested in nine environments as a combination of three years and three fertilization treatments (urea, calcium nitrate, ammonium nitrate), using a split-plot design with three replications. At maturity plant height, spike length, grains number per spike, and spike yield were determined. The significant effect of genotype × environment interaction on the phenotypic expression of different traits indicates differential response of the genotypes across the testing environments, thus offering the possibility of identifying some genotypes of interest. The Romanian varieties ‘Alex’ and ‘Glosa’ present the highest productivity of spike associated with an average stability, being specifically adapted to favourable rainfall conditions, achieving above-average yields in less favourable conditions. The varieties ‘Cerere’, ‘Genesi’, ‘Alex’ and ‘Glosa’ can be selected for crossing and included in wheat breeding programs for the development of stable cultivars adapted to saline soils.

Looking in the Scaffold 22 Hotspot for Differentially Regulated Genes Genomic Sequence Variation in Romanian Blueberry Cultivars

Since its domestication about a century ago in North America, highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) has gained appreciation by consumers worldwide, and the demand for new blueberry varieties is increasing. Whole-genome resequencing can help plant breeders to decrease the time needed to create novel varieties by identifying novel genes linked to fruit-quality traits. The present study analyzed the genetic variability of eight V. corymbosum genotypes, seven Romanian varieties (‘Prod’, ‘Vital’, ‘Azur’, ‘Simultan’, ‘Delicia’, ‘Compact’, and ‘Safir’), and the American variety, ‘Bluecrop’. The analysis of the first ~10 Mb from scaffold 22, a hotspot of genomic variation, in the above-mentioned varieties revealed multiple differences in 11 upregulated and 50 downregulated genes involved in fruit growth and development. Of these differentially regulated genes, two upregulated and five downregulated genes were fully covered by at least 1× coverage depth by sequencing. The genes’ sequence analysis confirmed the high genetic variability of the region, with most of the genes presenting numerous SNPs and some InDels, and indicated that an attempted 10× medium-coverage depth of sequencing for V. corymbosum varieties yields useful preliminary data for use in breeding programs.

Study of the Influence of Cultivar and Biological Seed Category on Winter Wheat Production

Wheat is one of the most cultivated agricultural species alongside corn and rice. In this study, we tested the influence of cultivars and seed biological class on yield in winter wheat. As a comparison, we used two Romanian varieties, Dropia and Faur, and two foreign varieties, Apache and Bercy in field-testing under normal agronomical practices. Data obtained in field trails was statistically processed by Duncan test for multiple comparisons between tested variants. Results indicate that yield decreases according to the seed biological class. Furthermore, the analysis of the distribution of significance differences in production, it resulted that both the cultivar and the biological category of the seeds act individually and combined on the average yields of winter wheat. Since the assortment of varieties in winter wheat is one that is renewed every year, and as a result of the fact that farmers have the option of multiplying the seed of autogamous varieties for their own use, we believe that the obtained results can be useful in evaluating the productive potential of winter wheat crops sown with seed from certified generations C1 and C2 or from subsequent generations of multiplication, which are not subject to the official certification process.

Results Regarding the Re-Emergence of Early Blight (Alternaria spp.) and Risk Management in Potato Growing Areas

Early blight caused by Alternaria spp. is a problem in many potato and tomato growing areas. Since some years, more and more countries report an increasing occurrence of early blight in the fields. Attacks of early blight was not see in potato fields from Barsa country, Romania, in the last years. But 2019 was an year with reemergence of early blight attack to different potato varieties. Application of fungicides is commonly used to effectively control the disease, although they are undesirable due to environmental consequences. Use of resistant cultivars would be the most optimal solution, but there are no cultivars with high level of resistance available on the market. Potato trials were carried out between 2019-2020 to the NIRDPSB Brasov on chernozeum soil with a randomised complete block design and four replicates with five Romanian varieties: Brasovia, Cezarina, Asinaria, Sevastia and Castrum. At the time of the disease, observations were made regarding the level of the attack. The determinations were performed on the lower, middle and upper level of the foliage of the tested plants (10 plants x 2 rows x 4 repetitions). Area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated based on visual assessment of foliar disease during the growing season each year. AUDPC ranged from 3143 to 170.5 in 2019 and from 1681.6 to 54 in 2020, respectively. The obtained productions varied between 27.17 t/ha (Castrum variety) and 43.03 t/ha (Cezarina variety) in 2019 and between 37.06 t/ha (Castrum variety) and 61.12 t/ha (Sevastia variety) in 2020.

Phytochemical Statistical Mapping of Red Grape Varieties Cultivated in Romanian Organic and Conventional Vineyards.

Red grapes are rich in phytochemicals such as phenolics and flavonoids, which are strongly correlated with their antioxidant activity. Thus, grapes as-harvested and grape extracts, especially those obtained from their seeds and pulp, have been reported to have health benefits, and accordingly, grapes and their derivatives are considered potential functional food ingredients. The total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and the antioxidant activity of skin, pulp, and seeds of four grape varieties grown both in conventional and organic vineyards were examined in this study. Phytochemical characteristics of one native Romanian variety, Feteasca Neagra, were compared with data measured for three red grape varieties more commonly cultivated worldwide (Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Muscat Hamburg). It was found that the seeds of the Pinot Noir variety grown in an organic system contained the highest total phenolics of 169.53 ± 7.32 mg gallic acid equivalents/g and the highest total flavonoid content of 388.25 ± 10.72 mg quercetin equivalents/g, values corresponding to high antioxidant activity (312.84 ± 12.81 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g). The total flavonoid content in the hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from seeds of Pinot Noir (organic vineyard) was around 24.5-fold higher than that of the skin of Pinot Noir (conventional vineyard). Experiments showed that seeds of all four tested grape varieties are good sources of total flavonoids, not only of total phenolics. When referring to the organic vineyard, the skin and pulp grapes showed good results for the total phenolic content. The antioxidant activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts were well-correlated with the total phenolic content and total flavonoid content. Lower values of these parameters were found for extracts obtained from skin and pulp than for those obtained from seeds of the same grape variety regardless of the culture management system (organic/conventional). Data mining techniques such as regression analysis, principal component analysis, and clustering analysis were applied to establish the potential correlation between the phytochemical content and the antioxidant activities of the red grapes on the one hand, and grape variety, anatomical parts, and vineyard type (organic/conventional) on the other hand.

Marcatori discursivi în context bilingv. Considerații privind uzul marcatorilor concesivi oricum, anyway și polyubomu

The aim of this paper is to analyse, from a socio pragmatic standpoint, two pairs of discourse markers in the context of language contact: Ro. oricum and Eng. anyway in Romanian spoken in Romania, and Ro. oricum and Ru. p o lyubomu in the Romanian variety spoken in the Republic of Moldova. The study focuses on the pragmatic values that anyway and po lyubomu have both in Romanian and in their source language, values that are compared with the pragmatic functions of thei r Rom anian counterpart oricum . The study aimed to determine whether po lyubomu and anyway , as borrowed discourse markers, convey the same pragmatic functions in the recipient language as they do in their source language. Moreover, we tried to explain why Roma nian speakers (bilingual or monolingual), both in Moldova and in Romania, choose borrowed discourse markers over their Romanian counterpart. It is often stated that discourse markers are susceptible to borrowing because they are peripheral, optional, multi functional, oral. Borrowed markers contrast with their linguistic environment being more salient than native markers. The use of anyway in Romanian is an element of code switching phenomenon and might be explained in terms of conversational strategies , whi le Ru. po lyubomu is a borrowed element undergoing formal and functional adaptation.

The study of the behavior in the pollination process of some local cherry populations

The analysis of local cherry varieties both phenotypically and genotypically provides extremely important information for breeders. On the other hand, the valorization of some local, Romanian cherry varieties or local populations and their reconsideration in the breeding programs, constitute an important premise on the scale of adaptability to the local climatic conditions. In the pollination schemes were used local cherry populations from Ialomița, “Mari de Malu”, „Roșu de Mai” and the „Mărgărit” genotype that were hybridized with pollen from the Romanian varieties „Maria” and „Alex”. Although a considerable number of flowers have been pollinated, the binding rate still low between 7.33% and 10%. It is therefore observed how the exogenous pollen coming from the varieties partner in the pollination process positively influences the characters of the hybrid fruit, as it is not identical with the varieties used as parents. The statistical analysis of the results demonstrated that the native varieties of cherry constitute an extremely valuable potential in inducing some characters of resistance to diseases, productivity, quality, but also the fact that most of them are self-fertile.

Chemometric Analysis-Based Sustainable Use of Different Current Baking Wheat Lots from Romania and Hungary

Wheat is the most important raw material for bakery industries. Real-time grain quality assessment could increase bakery product quality and baking efficiency. The quality assessment of wheat grains can be conducted using modern and non-invasive techniques based on near-infrared spectrophotometry (NIRS) methods for the assessment of gluten content (WetGL), protein content, Zeleny index (ZelenyIdx), grain humidity (Ur), etc. The topic covered in the study is of current interest, is a part of sustainable research, and involves aspects of food quality, one of the concerns addressed by the University of Oradea’s Department of Food Engineering. The present study was carried out in 2020 on eleven wheat lots from Romania and Hungary. Following the NIRS analyses, the results show varied quality for the Romanian and Hungarians wheat lots. The Romanian variety Crisana recorded the highest values for quality parameters, being similar to the Hungarian variety Bekes from Hajdu Bihar County. The statistical analysis was carried out using multivariate analysis (multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), canonical variate analysis (CVA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA)), which highlighted which of the batches of wheat grains can be mixed to obtain a raw material of high quality for the bakery industry.

DETERMINATION OF THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITIES AND MINERALS CONTAINED IN DRIED PRODUCTS FROM DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF TRADITIONAL ROMANIAN APPLES

The aim of this work was to quantify the content of nutritional elements and minerals in dried products from traditional Romanian old apple varieties from Salaj county, with potential for production and introduction into population consumption, as well as establishing shelf life for dried apples without the addition of preservatives, on the technological flow. The apple varieties evaluated were "Jonathan", "Poinic", "Mustos - sample 2", "Summer- not nominally identified", "Winter- not nominally identified", "Mustos - sample 1", "Dulce", as well as 2 mixes with apples "Mix of dried apples (from the Poinic, Mustos, Dulce, Summer, Winter, Ionathan varieties)" and "Summer variety dried apple mixed with dried chokeberry and dried blackcurrant"(contains apples from the "Summer- not nominally identified"). The samples taken in the study continued the skin and pulp of the fruits. The minerals iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium were evaluated. The evaluated nutritional indicators were the content of available carbohydrates, energy (Kj/100g, kcal/100g), energy from fats, ash content, fat content, dietary fiber, protein, dry matter, moisture. The evaluated minerals showed significant differences depending on the variety. The variety 'Jonathan' was noted for its high content of iron 8.1 mg/kg. High manganese content was detected in "Jonathan" variety - 2.11 mg/kg and in "Dulce" variety - 3.11 mg/kg. The "Summer- not nominally identified" variety was noted for its high content of sodium 14.4 mg/kg and calcium 276 mg/kg. The "Poinic" variety stood out for its high potassium content 6380 mg/kg. The "Winter- not nominally identified"variety stood out for its high magnesium content of 377 mg/kg. The results indicated the high nutritional potential of apples from old traditional Romanian varieties.

Comparative Analysis of Phenotypic and Molecular Data on Response to Main Pear Diseases and Pest Attack in a Germplasm Collection

The pear is an important fruit tree in temperate areas, but due to its sensitivity, fruit yield and quality are often affected by disease and pest attacks. Pear genotypes from a germplasm collection comprising 13 Pyrus species, 17 Romanian varieties, and 50 non-Romanian varieties from a worldwide assortment were investigated in this study. Throughout four years, response to attack of the principal pathogens and pests was investigated phenotypically under natural conditions of infection and infestation. SSR markers were used to analyze the genetic diversity of the genotypes. A standardized method for the evaluation of responses to biotic stressors was proposed, which highlighted significant differences between genotypes. The species and varieties with the lowest degrees of attack (DA%), calculated based on the frequency and intensity of attack, were identified for pear scab (Venturia pyrina), septoria (Septoria pyricola), fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), and psyllids (Psylla sp.). These accessions could provide valuable sources of genes of interest to develop resistant varieties in new pear breeding programs. By combining phenotypic and molecular analyses, significant information was obtained that can be exploited to generate high variability for selection through artificial hybridization by harnessing accessions with complementary molecular fingerprints and high genetic distances.

A dialectometric approach to Romanian intonation

This paper presents the first dialectometric analysis of intonational variation of standard spoken Romanian. The data analysed (26,680 sentences) were gathered within the AMPER-ROM project and the dialectometrical analysis has been carried out with ProDis. The results are consistent with the geolinguistic descriptions of Romanian varieties. ProDis identified two major areas for yes-no questions: a central-eastern one (Moldo-Walachian), with rising contours, and a central-western one (Transylvanian, discontinuously continuing over Bukovina to Bessarabia—the Republic of Moldova—), which presents also falling contours. The study suggests that intonational areas are somehow more conservative of and (relatively) independent from segmental dialectal areas.

RESEARCHES ON THE INFLUENCE OF SOWING DENSITY ON SWEET LUPINE YIELD

Lupine is cultivated on quite limited areas in Romania, the information about the culture of this legume is scarce and may be one of the reasons why lupine is not found in the crop structure. Through the experience established, during 2016-2017, at the Turda Agricultural Development Research Station (ARDS), located in the hilly area of ​​the Transylvanian Plain, the behavior of two varieties of white lupine (sweet) and the productivity of the plants under the influence of pedoclimatic conditions of the years 2016-2017 and some technological elements, in the present case - sowing density. Of the two varieties, the Romanian variety recorded a slightly higher yield than the variety of foreign origin. Lupine reacts positively to density of 15-22 pl/sqm, recording yields of 3828 kg/ha (22 pl/sqm) and 3223 kg/ha (15 pl/sqm), respectively. At the density of 11 pl/sqm the yield drops significantly. The rainfall deficit during the period of flowering-pod formation, calendrically the first half of June - the first half of August, also contributes to the decrease in yield.

An apparent breakdown of Vf resistance occurring in an apple orchard in Bistrita area


 Scab resistance through the Rvi6 gene was largely used in Romanian breeding programs including those from Fruit Research & Development Station (FRDS) Bistrita. The aim of the study was to verify the efficacy of the resistance due to the Vf gene under the current conditions in the Bistrita area. Three scab resistant apple cultivars bred at FRDS Bistrita were monitored in the field, in comparison with the Rvi6 ‘Florina’ and ‘Prima’ cvs., and the sensitive ‘Idared’ and ‘Golden Delicious’ cvs. Molecular markers (AM-19, U1₄₀₀ and AL07) were used in PCR to check the presence of the Rvi6 gene in the genome of the three Romanian varieties. During the years 2019-2021, scab lesions appeared on all the resistant cultivars studied. PCR results showed the presence of Rvi6 gene on ‘Bistritean’, ‘Salva’, ‘Aura’, ‘Prima’ and ‘Florina’ genoms. The results suggest a possible breakdown of the resistance given by the Rvi6 gene in the current ecological conditions in this area. Scab symptoms occurring on cultivars that have the Rvi6 gene could lead to the hypothesis that different scab races are now present in our area or that some genetic variations occurred on the existing races so that they overcome Rvi6 gene.

The Main Phenotypic Characteristic of Elida, a New Luffa Cultivar Created at Vegetable Research Development Station Buzău, Romania


 Luffa cylindrica also known as sponge gourd, Egyptian cucumber or Vietnamese luffa is an annual cucurbit vine native South Asia. In India, China, Japan and Vietnam the crop is cultivated on large areas, being a plant with multipurpose uses. Since 1962 at Vegetable Research Development Station (VRDS) Buzau, has begun the acclimatization of this species, but, although it was heavily promoted, no Romanian variety has been registered so far. The present study aims to present the main quantitative characteristics of the new variety obtained at VRDS Buzau, ‘Elida’. The cultivar has a distinct phenotypic expressiveness with high quality fruits. Since year 2020 the cultivar was registered in the Official Catalogue of Romanian Crop Plants. ‘Elida’ has shown a high plasticity and can also be grown in ecological system.

ASSESSMENT OF GRAIN YIELD STABILITY AND RELIABILITY IN SOME WINTER WHEAT VARIETIES

Considering the continued and unpredictable variation of climatic condition, the yield stability has become an important topic in wheat breeding. This study evaluated the grain yield of 11 winter wheat varieties with different genetic and ecologic origin during three years, to compare the effects of genotype, year and genotype × year interactions and to determine their stability and reliability for cultivar recommendations. The climatic conditions during the three years had the highest contribution (80.03%) to the yield variability of wheat, while the varieties had a lower influence (11.41%), and the variety x year interaction contributed only with 8.56% to the total variation. In 2020, the climatic conditions were significantly more favorable than in 2018–2019, allowing obtaining yield increases of 33.82-44.20%. Also, in 2018 there was a higher favorability of the growing conditions compared to that of 2019, associated with significant yield increases of 7.75%. The highest yield stability was observed in Boema and Galio varieties, on the background of a non-crossover genotype x environment (GE) interaction. The stability of these varieties has been associated with different yield levels, above the experience mean in Galio and below the experience mean in Boema, respectively. In Akteur and Josef varieties, the yield was strongly influenced by the GE interaction, being associated with lower levels than the experience mean. On the background of high occurrence probabilities (0.75–0.95) of unfavorable environmental conditions for wheat crop, Galio and Laurenzio varieties would have the highest yield reliability, associated with values of 5173–6328 kg/ha (Galio) and 5101–5979 kg/ha (Laurenzio). As such, given the results of all stability parameters, it turns out that the Romanian varieties showed a good adaptation to the local ecological conditions compared to most of the foreign varieties.

Evaluation of essential oil and hydrolate from a new hyssop variety (Hyssopus officinalis L.)

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of essential oil (EO) and hydrolate (HY) obtained from a new Romanian variety of hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L., Lamiaceae family), namely ‘Cătălin’. The chemical composition and the concentration of the compounds was established by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main constituents identified in hyssop EO and HY were cis-pinocamphone (34.63% and 67.00%), trans-pinocamphone (11.72% and 14.58%), thujenol (1.39% and 6.05%). The evaluation of the antioxidant capacity was performed by three methods (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP), EO proving a higher oxidizing activity compared to HY one. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was evaluated in vitro, in order to detect its ability to inhibit G- phytopathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas syringae) and plant pathogenic fungi (Fusarium oxysporum). Eugenol, linalool and estragole standards were used as reference volatile compounds. Regarding Pseudomonas syringae (LMG5090) bacterium, assays showed that hyssop oil does not inhibit its growth. Estragole and eugenol showed pronounced antibacterial activity in all tested concentrations, both in the first 24 hours of incubation and after 3 days. Linalool instead has bacteriostatic activity only at high concentrations (50% and 100%), an inhibitory activity that is maintained only in the first 24 hours of incubation. The results obtained against Fusarium oxysporum reveal that the EO tested has no fungicidal activity but only fungistatic, and it is able to delay mycelial growth and the degree of inhibition depending on the concentration used.

Instances of (un)translatability in Ion Creangă’s “Amintiri din copilărie”/”Memories of my boyhood”

These days, writing about untranslatability may seem courageous, as more and more voices associate this issue with translation incapacity and, instead, advocate for creative remedies or even reject such an instance. This study does not deal with a contemporary novel, nor does it have to do with a powerful textual space. However, we believe that translation theories mainly focus on analyses of a certain category of languages, and raise questions of discrepancies between subordinate and dominant cultures, a tendency which derives from the proneness of the international publishing industry to favour certain languages and types of writing. We are not aiming for a debate around the subject of publishing politics or endeavours, but rather we try to cast some light on the ambitious project of rendering vernacular into a powerful language. This paper deals with the work of a great Moldavian storyteller who contributes significantly to the enhancement of expressiveness through linguistic characteristics that occur informally. We hypothesise that the vibrant vernacular writing “Memories of my boyhood” creates potential instances of untranslatability, due to significant differences between the Romanian variety and English, not necessarily in the linguistic inventory but rather in the cognitive structures of the readership. Therefore, the case study focuses on how source text and target text readers infer meaning from interjections and terms of address, originally belonging to the Moldavian modes of expression. Although the translators re-create these short utterances, due to a lack of a similar background from the part of the receiving culture, we witness a limitation on conveying their original intentionality, emotion and plethora of meanings.

Enzymatic pre-treatment of grape seeds for an oil with higher antioxidant activity

The paper investigates the effect of the enzymatic pre-treatment of grape seeds from six Romanian cultivars on the oil extracted. The grape seeds of some white and red Romanian grape varieties were separated from winery waste, washed, dried and ground, with the oil then obtained by extraction with petroleum ether. The extraction was performed directly or after a preliminary treatment with a commercial pectin lyase. The enzymatic procedure applied was more cost effective compared to other treatments previously described in which a cocktail of enzymes was used. The quantity of the extracted oil was measured in both types of processing, with an increase being observed for pre-treated samples. The fatty acid profiles (FAPs) of the oils resulted for the treated and untreated seeds were determined. No change in the composition was noticed. The reductive power of these oils was also investigated. Compared to the untreated samples for the same variety, the enzyme pre-treatment resulted in a superior antioxidant capacity.

The Variability for the Biochemical Indicators at the Winter Wheat Assortment and Identifying the Sources with a High Antioxidant Activity.

This study presents the variability of some biochemical indicators in the winter wheat assortments tested in south-western Oltenia (Romania) and identification of the sources showing a high antioxidant activity. The peroxidase activity has intensified as the stress induced by treatment with PEG of different concentrations and in different doses increased. Regarding the peroxidase content, among the varieties treated with PEG 10,000 25%, the majority of the Romanian varieties tested showed higher values of the PEG/control treatment ratio, which suggests tolerance to drought. In reverse, the activity of ascorbate peroxidase is lower in tolerant varieties. The varieties with a subunit report have been noted. Among them are the Izvor variety, known as the drought-tolerant variety, as well as other Romanian varieties: Alex, Delabrad, Lovrin 34, etc. An increased activity of catalase was present in most varieties, so there is the possibility of drought tolerance. Among the varieties highlighted are Romanian varieties (Dropia, Trivale, Nikifor, etc.) but also foreign varieties (Kristina, GH Hattyu, Karlygash, etc.). However, the correlation between yield index in the limited assortment and the antioxidant enzyme content ratios between PEG and control treatments does not exist, suggesting that none of these biochemical indicators are a selective indicator for drought tolerance under the experimental condition.

Effect of grape yield and maceration time on phenolic composition of ‘Fetească neagră’ organic wine

The phenolic composition of wine is mostly determined by the accumulation of the phenolic compounds in the grapes, as well as their extraction into wine. To increase their concentration in grapes, yield reduction is usually performed by pruning, while to increase the extraction in wines, the maceration on skins is extended for longer periods of time. The present study focuses on the possibilities to apply both strategies to improve the polyphenol composition of organic red wines of Romanian variety ‘Fetească neagră’, which stands to benefit more from technological interventions than other varieties, which naturally accumulate higher phenol concentrations in the grapes. In the vineyard three experimental pruning variants were made, with 20, 28 and 36 buds/vine, while for wine, maceration was performed for either 8 or 16 days for each grape variant. The phenolic profiles of wines were determined by HPLC methods. The main anthocyanidins, such as malvidin, petunidin, delphinidin, peonidin and cyanidin, as well as the acylated and coumaroylated derivatives of malvidin and peonidin were quantitatively determined. Some other phenolic compounds, of various classes, such as gallic, p-benzoic, p-coumaric and ferulic acid, catechin, epicatechin, myricetin, quercetin and trans-resveratrol were also determined. The quality of the organic ‘Fetească neagră’ wines depended highly on the vintage, but yield reduction and the extension of skin maceration duration were especially beneficial in the less favourable year, when classical technologies lead to less accumulation of sugars, colour and other polyphenols. Concomitant application of both strategies led to the best results, irrespective of the year.