Vine Growers Research Articles

Algerian vine canes as a good source of phenolic compounds for several in vitro biological activities

<p>One of the most widely cultivated crops in the world is grapevine knowing that about 77.8 million tons of grapes are produced worldwide each year. Both of vine growing, pruning, and winemaking generate a vast quantity of wastes and byproducts such as skin, seed, and canes. Grape canes include a wide range of phenolic profiles which have several biological effects. In the present study four vine Algerian grape cane cultivars were selected for the evaluation of their phenolic contents and biological activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, in vitro antioxidant activity (using DPPH, ABTS, and reducing power methods), enzyme inhibitory activity (towards alpha amylase, and urease) anti-inflammatory activity, and sun protection factor of each extract. All grape extracts were compared for their TPC and TFC values which ranged from 123 to 288 mg of Gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract to 24.5 to 55.6 mg of quercetin equivalent (QCE)/g extract respectively. The highest TPC and TFC were found in the grape cultivar FR (288.8 mg GAE/g extract, 55,625 mg QCE/g extract respectively). The results revealed also that all extracts showed high antioxidant with the same trend of phenolic composition and significant enzymatic activity in all tests. Additionally, all extracts showed a moderate anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the denaturation of BSA, and given a high sun protection factor. These findings imply that grape canes which considered as undervalued parts have a significant potential to be used as a natural treatment for many physiological diseases and for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sector and medical research.</p>

From vineyard to glass: Measuring consumers’ willingness to pay for innovative rootstock-produced wine through an experimental auction

Availability of new rootstocks in vineyards offers improved sustainability and adaptability to changing climatic conditions. However, the adoption of these innovations in the wine industry can be hindered by consumer perceptions and uncertainty about the intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of the new rootstock-produced wines. This study aims to address these concerns by examining consumer preferences towards M4 rootstock-produced wines through a consumer test and a willingness-to-pay assessment based on a Becker-DeGroot-Marschak auction analysis. A non-hypothetical experiment design, involving 201 wine consumers from the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions of Italy, was employed to identify differences in new patterns of wine consumption due to the information provided. Results show that consumers do not identify noticeable taste differences between wines produced with innovative and traditional rootstocks. However, when informed about the water-saving benefits, their willingness to pay for wines made with the innovative rootstock is 5% higher than for wines using traditional rootstocks. This additional willingness to pay becomes statistically insignificant after tasting the wine. The introduction of the M4 rootstock among vine growers appears to be an effective solution in meeting consumer demand for high-quality products made with environmentally-friendly methods that conserve scarce resources, such as water. The findings of this study contribute to the ongoing debate on the development of sustainable and economically viable viticultural practices that address the challenges posed by climate change.

Impacts of Soil Management and Sustainable Plant Protection Strategies on Soil Biodiversity in a Sangiovese Vineyard

Vine growing is one of the most economically important sectors of Mediterranean agriculture, but its cultivation practices are highly detrimental to the environment and the associated biota. The application of both natural products inducing endogenous plant defense mechanisms and natural soil management systems represents a potential solution for the preservation and improvement of soil health and biodiversity. The Life Green Grapes project aimed at evaluating the effects of different natural and sustainable vine protection strategies and soil management on vineyard edaphic communities. Soil TOC, TN, C:N ratio, CaCO3 content and pH were measured. Microbial communities (bacteria and fungi) were characterized through NGS, while nematodes and microarthropods were isolated and identified. Obtained data highlighted a relationshipbetween bacteria, fungi and nematodes with soil chemistry, and an effect of the different soil management on the single and total edaphic communities. Network analysis evidenced a positive effect of the application of sustainable soil managements on the relationships among the different investigated soil trophic levels, suggesting that more natural soil managements allow a better interaction between soil organisms. In conclusion, this work confirms the importance of the application of sustainable and natural soil management practices in agricultural ecosystems, with the aim of conserving and improving soil biodiversity.

PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RED WINES (CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND TEMPRANILLO) FROM ENSENADA, BAJA CALIFORNIA

Ensenada wine country, in the State of Baja California, Mexico, accounts for approximately 70–80 % of Mexico’s wine production. Despite its significance, detailed knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of wines remains limited. In this study, we examined nine physicochemical properties of 69 commercial red wines produced from the Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals in the San Vicente, Santo Tomás, and Guadalupe valleys. The pH, total acidity, acetic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, total polyphenols, glucose/fructose ratio, alcohol content, and red color intensity were all analyzed. Tempranillo wines showed significantly higher levels of acetic acid, lactic acid, and total acidity, but lower levels of total polyphenols and malic acid than Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Furthermore, wines from the Santo Tomás region have significantly higher alcohol content, glucose/fructose ratio, total polyphenols, red color intensity, and total acidity, distinguishing them from the wines of San Vicente and Guadalupe. Our results highlight the influence of the grape variety on wine chemistry, emphasizing the possibility for further optimization of the winemaking processes for the benefit of vine growers, enologists, and wine production in the region.

Study of Molecular Biodiversity and Population Structure of Vitis vinifera L. ssp. vinifera on the Volcanic Island of El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain) by Using Microsatellite Markers

El Hierro island is postulated as the most biodiverse of the archipelago. To verify this hypothesis, the 87 individuals collected throughout the island were genotyped with 20 SSRs. As a result of this study, 28 varieties were described, 6 of which were new (Uval piñero, Uvalero volcánico, Pinar negro, Seis de Carlos, Tesoro blanco, Uval negro), and the first rose sport of the local Canary Islands variety Bermejuela was also found. Fifteen errors were detected in total. Eleven varieties were identified that were unknown to the vine growers and twenty individuals with variations (mutations) were found, of which two had already been described in a previous prospection in Lanzarote Island (intra-varietal variability). From this study, it is also proposed to incorporate 33 new names into the world database, corresponding mostly to the individuals and variations described for the first time, which represents a lexicographic enrichment. Finally, the singularity of the population of vines adapted to El Hierro island is demonstrated, not only with respect to the population of Canary Islands vines, but also with respect to the world population. The biodiversity and uniqueness of El Hierro and the Canary Archipelago reaffirm the proposal that the Canary Islands should be considered a world biodiversity centre.

Breeding for black rot resistance in grapevine: advanced approaches for germplasm screening

Crop improvement by means of traditional or molecular breeding is a key strategy to accomplish the European Green Deal target of reducing pesticides by 50% by 2030. Regarding viticulture, this is exacerbated by the massive use of chemicals to control pathogen infections. Black rot is an emergent disease caused by the ascomycete Phyllosticta ampelicida, and its destructiveness is alarming vine growers. Implementing and improving effective phenotyping strategies are fundamental preliminary steps to breed disease resistant varieties and this work suggests good practices adopted for this purpose. Primarily, the pedigree of black rot resistance donors was reconstructed based on the collection of phenotypic historical data, highlighting unexplored sources of black rot resistance. Strains used for artificial infections were isolated, genetically characterized and mixed to avoid race-specific resistance selection. A new inoculation protocol based on the use of leaf mature lesions was developed. Ex vivo inoculation on detached leaves was effective for the evaluation of conidia germination and hyphal growth, but not for disease progression. Finally, the pedigree was used for the identification of 23 genotypes to be tested. Two breeding selections (NY39 and NY24) resulted symptomless in all assessments and a third one (F25P52) also showed very high resistance, although with a greater variability. Other two genotypes (F12P19 and ‘Charvir’) fell within the medium resistance category, making them good candidates in a regime of well-timed preventive treatments. In conclusion, this work was effective to a comprehensive parental line characterization and preparatory towards grapevine breeding programs for black rot resistance.

The impact of climate change on the sustainability of wine production and the structure of its consumption in Czechia

Vine-growing for the production of wine constitutes one of the major areas of agriculture of Czechia, and in recent years it has been qualitatively improved. The purpose of this study is to express the effects of climate change on the structure of wine production and consumption in the Czech Republic in connection with the growing local popularity of white wine consumption. The current consumer preferences of wine consumers in the Czech Republic (characterized by the growing popularity of white wines) are not in line with the effects of future climate change associated with the assumption of growing vine varieties suitable for the production of red wines. The methodology of the following study is based especially on the evaluation of statistical data about vine growing and wine production of Czechia and a research investigation about consumers’ preferences in the consumption of wines in Czechia. The effect of long-term climate change in the region are likely to lead to an increase in growing areas, especially in favour of vine varieties suitable for the production of red or rosé wines. The harvest of wine grapes, the hectare yield of grapes and the production of wine in Czechia do not show a significant development trend in the long-term time series of 2000–2019. Thus, in the future, the development of viticulture in Czechia will be influenced mainly by the location of the planted area of vineyards or the development of consumer habits and preferences.

Crop forcing technique and irrigation strategy modified the content and phenolic profile of cv. Tempranillo grape berries grown in a semi-arid climate.

Climate change modifies the content and phenolic profiles of grapes and wines. It is known that high temperatures, related to climate change, reduce anthocyanins and procyanidin (catechin and tannin) compounds accumulated in the berries. In recent years, with the aim of improving the phenolic composition of the berries, the technique of crop forcing has been proposed to delay grape ripening to a more favourable period of temperatures. In this study, crop forcing was applied to cv. Tempranillo vines on two different dates, after flowering (F1) and after fruit set (F2), and compared to a treatment control (NF, without forcing). Additionally, as a secondary factor, two irrigation strategies were established in each treatment: irrigation with no water stress, and a pre-veraison deficit irrigation. The study was carried out in three consecutive years (2017-2019). For most of the parameters analysed, no interaction was found. Therefore, for these parameters, the effect of each of these techniques was investigated independently. Regardless of the irrigation strategy, F2 berries achieved higher contents of catechins and anthocyanins than NF berries. Each year, regardless of the irrigation strategy, crop forcing increased the content of monoglucoside forms, and had a positive effect on the total content of malvidin, petunidin, delphinidin, peonidin and malvidin derivatives, but only affected acetyl and coumaryl forms in 2017. However, the effect of irrigation strategy was less significant and consistent, being more dependent on the vintage. Regardless of vine water status, crop forcing technique applied after fruit set could be used by vine growers to delay ripening of the grapes and thus achieve an increase in the anthocyanin characteristics of the grapes. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The vineyard as a therapeutic landscape of the mind: preliminary results of a pilot study

IntroductionYoung people represent a vulnerable population, with 75% of mental disorders first emerging before 25 years of age. This pilot stems from the acknowledged need to design and test non-stigmatizing programs that are appealing to young people and suited for the protean mental health problems that they experience.ObjectivesThe study involves a group of youths (aged 16-25) with different forms of mental ill-health in a locally and culturally meaningful activity, namely hand-harvesting grape in the renowned area of Langhe (Italy). The aim is to investigate viticultural practices as possibly effective in supporting recovery by promoting social interaction and fostering a sense of belonging in the broader process of winemaking.MethodsThe project is multidisciplinary in its design and implementation, involving psychiatrists, psychologists, rehabilitation specialists and sociologists. Research methods include clinical assessment, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with the participants.ResultsDuring the harvest season, a stable group of participants has been involved in a one-to-one relationship with professional vine growers. This relational geometry was built around the performance of a practical task: that of filling in a box with manually harvested grape and moving it along the rows of vines. Within each dyad, which represents the most fragile and intimate of all social forms, practical knowledge has been conveyed from the experienced worker to the youth. Most importantly, the repeated encounters provided an opportunity for human interaction and exchange that went beyond the activity being performed, involving the gradual disclosure of self, the ability to listen, connect and empathize with personal stories from diverse backgrounds. Participants’ narratives collected during and after the pilot describe the vineyard as a psychic more than a physical place – a landscape of the mind, structured around the emotional and sensorial contents of the experience. The study’s core finding emerging from fieldwork and youths’ accounts is the beneficial effects of the intervention on transdiagnostic factors such as social anxiety symptoms, low self-efficacy and poor social skills.ConclusionsThe pilot provides suggestions to orient meaningful and non-stigmatising programs for vulnerable young people, hosted in landscapes that can become therapeutic not by virtue of their aesthetic features, but because of the access they provide to social (i.e. opportunities for new relationships), material (occasions to create and share something tangible) and affective (promotion of positive emotions, containment of loneliness and feelings of inadequacy) resources.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The culture of winemaking as a protective factor against at-risk drinking: a peer-led intervention with adolescents

IntroductionAlcohol consumption is part of the global youth culture and represents a dimension of young people’s social identity. Even if at-risk drinking in the young population is lower in Italy compared to other countries, the increasing complexity and changes in global values may influence risky behaviours, which therefore require attention and preventive strategies.ObjectivesThe intervention followed a pilot named The Vineyard Project, which engaged a group of young mental health service users in local practices of hand-harvesting grape. The initiative was hosted in the wine-producing area of Langhe (Italy), which shows lower rates of at-risk drinking also due to the protective role played by the cultural dimension of winemaking craft. The pilot inspired a peer led-intervention in a local high school, acknowledging the crucial role that educational settings play in the lives of young people and the relevance of peer influence on adolescents’ behaviours.MethodsSemi-structured interviews with young people participating in the Vineyard Project have been conducted, audio-recorded and shared with high school students (n=80) to become the object of dedicated workshops. Interviews explored participants’ experience in the vineyard, the relationship they developed with the vines and with professional vine growers, their role in the winemaking process, and the emotional and sensorial contents of their immersion in the viticultural landscape.ResultsThe peer-led intervention showed promising results in producing benefits beyond the group of young people directly involved in the vineyard activities. By narrating their experiences through the interviews, participants acted as cultural mediators with the students who subsequently listened to their stories. Their narratives represent unusual accounts of the world of wine and its production, drawing on the perspective of non-expert, young people that are not familiar with the viticultural landscape. The embodied knowledge they could learn from professional vine growers, concerning the harvest as well as other activities of care for the vines, contribute to portray wine as a cultural product, which is the result of traditions handed down from generation to generation, hard work, competent interventions on the vines and the other living beings of the vineyard. This unusual perspective on wine was perceived as particularly surprising for students who lived in the area, who became so acquainted with the viticultural landscape and the discourses around its products to the point of taking it for granted in a non-reflexive attitude.ConclusionsFindings suggest that peer-led interventions concerning wine and other drinking products, narrated in their cultural dimension (e.g. their story, identity, local traditions, practices and the tacit knowledge implied in their production), may encourage a limited and competent consumption among young people.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Composition and biodiversity of soil and root-associated microbiome in Vitis vinifera cultivar Lambrusco distinguish the microbial terroir of the Lambrusco DOC protected designation of origin area on a local scale.

Wines produced from the same grape cultivars but in different locations possess distinctive qualities leading to different consumer's appreciation, preferences, and thus purchase choices. Here, we explore the possible importance of microbiomes at the soil-plant interface as a determinant of the terroir properties in grapevine production, which confer specific growth performances and wine chemo-sensory properties at the local scale. In particular, we investigated the variation in microbial communities associated with the roots of Vitis vinifera cultivar Lambrusco, as well as with surrounding bulk soils, in different vineyards across the "Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco DOC" protected designation of origin area (PDO, Emilia Romagna, Italy), considering viticultural sites located both inside and outside the consortium in two different seasons (June and November 2021). According to our findings, rhizospheric and soil microbiomes show significant structural differences in relation to the sampling site, regardless of seasonality, while endophytic microbiomes seem to be completely unaffected by such variables. Furthermore, a deeper insight into the microbial terroir of PDO areas highlighted the presence of some rhizospheric microorganisms enriched inside the consortium and characterizing the PDO regardless of both sampling season and farming strategy. These include Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Azospirillum, which are all well-known plant growth-promoting bacteria. Taken together, our results suggest a connection between soil and root microbiomes of V. vinifera cultivar Lambrusco and the local designation of origin, emphasizing the potential role of PDO-enriched plant growth-promoting bacteria in vine growing and final quality of the Lambrusco DOC wine.

Grapevine Resistant Cultivars: A Story Review and the Importance on the Related Wine Consumption Inclination

Pest and disease management in the grapevine sector has become difficult due to several instances (e.g., pathogen resistance, agrochemicals withdrawals). Therefore, viticulture switched to more environmentally friendly practices. On these bases, the most promising tool is the use of a resistant variety of grapes. Luckily, genetic and genomic selection have made great steps in accelerating plant breeding. In recent years, several resistant varieties of grape were created and the wine obtained began to grow. This allowed vine growers and wine makers to drastically reduce the chemical inputs in vineyards. However, this specific wine market faces trouble regarding the consumer attitude towards buying the related crafted wines. In order to make these innovations acceptable, we undertook a literature review of the history and creation methods of the hybrid grapevines. We investigated young wine drinkers across north-east Italy using specific questionaries to better analyse consumer perception of wine from resistant vines and the related environmentally friendly issues to understand if consumers are prone towards this product. Our results clearly indicate that consumer attitude towards this type of beverage pays great attention to the reduction in agrochemicals.

Wine Supply Chain Network Configuration under a Water Footprint Cap

As agriculture and industry exploit more than 90% of the global freshwater resources, water overuse and degradation have emerged as critical socio-environmental challenges for both nations and corporations. In this context, the water footprint concept was introduced in order to quantify the freshwater consumption and pollution of a territory or across a product’s life cycle. As research on water management in supply chains is growing, this work aims to integrate the perspective of freshwater resources into supply network configuration. Focusing on the agrifood sector, we have developed a mixed-integer linear programming model that can be used to minimize the operational costs under a water footprint cap in a wine supply chain network by selecting the optimal suppliers (vine growers), manufacturing sites (winemakers), and transportation modes (fuel-powered trucks). The optimization outcomes unveil that the wine network’s configurations (structure and fuel type) vary significantly depending on the values of the water footprint cap so as to balance the trade-off between economic and water-related environmental efficiency. Beyond the viticulture sector, the proposed model is anticipated to act as a paradigm for setting joint sustainable targets or caps to limit water use across supply chains.

Economic analysis of the current state of fruit and vine growing in the Krasnodar Territory and estimation of their development directions efficiency

Economic analysis of the current state of fruit and vine growing in the Krasnodar Territory and estimation of their development directions efficiency

Kemijska sestava in potencialna uporabnost lignoceluloznih ostankov

The main purpose of the current research was to determine the chemical structure of typical lignocellulosic residues generated in wood processing industries, fruit and vine growing activities, and the maintenance of green areas. Four characteristic groups of samples, e.g. wood sawdust, bark, tree prunings and the lignified residues of fruits were analysed for the content of ash, lipophilic and hydrophilic extractives, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Gravimetric methods were used for the analyses, and the purity of individual isolated fractions was monitored by FTIR spectroscopy. The highest quantity of ash and low molecular weight extractive compounds was determined in bark and tree prunings, while concentrations of cellulose and total carbohydrates were highest in sawdust samples. Lignified fruit residues and bark proved to be rich sources of lignin. Because of their diverse chemical composition, all of the examined materials are potential feedstocks for the production of platform chemicals and other specific products within biorefinery processes.

Determining the Awareness Levels of Vine Growers in Mardin Province with Regards to Crop-Protection Practises

Determining the Awareness Levels of Vine Growers in Mardin Province with Regards to Crop-Protection Practises

Constraints faced by the Respondents in Cultivation of Betel Vine in Malappuram District of Kerala

Betel vine (Piper betel L. ) in India is grown as an important cash crop across the states, of, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tripura ,Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A study was undertaken in Malappuram district of Kerala for analysis of constraints faced by the farmers in betel vine cultivation covering Tanur block taking six villages selected purposively where the crop is grown as a major crop. A total 120 betel vine growers were selected randomly from six villages. It is observed that nearly half of the respondents felt the constraints were severe (45%) in betel vine cultivation, followed by not severe (31.66%) and very severe (23.33%). Most of the respondents experienced labour shortage or high labour cost as the most problematic constraint, the study further indicated that the second most important constraint found was price fluctuation followed by water scarcity, transportation and insects and diseases.

The will for terroir: A communicative approach

This article discusses the concept of terroir in the light of the communication practices. It provides a literature review illustrated with a case observation. The author identifies three key stages in the constitution of the terroir through communication: organizational norms and interaction; the circulation of public relations, marketing and media messages, and promotion; and a meaningful consumer experience that closes the circle of a terroir-based storytelling. Here, communication processes play a leading role, which includes the agency of diverse stakeholders. The author argues that, among these stakeholders, geographical indication (GI) organizations are leading agents that build symbolic terroir practices. One of the text's principal theses is that terroir is a socio-cultural construction embedded in storytelling practices with a broad scientific, economic, social and cultural exchange. For this terroir to exist, there must be a collective will, driven by the interests of a wide range of stakeholders such as policymakers, local communities, vine growers, winemakers, marketers and consumers. The practice of defining, communicating and circulating this storytelling is what finally transfers agency to the narrative itself in what the author refers to as the will for terroir. The article illustrates the process with a case study of a wine GI in Catalonia (Spain) and discusses how the will for terroir is relevant at each stage.

Nanotechnology: recent advances in viticulture and enology

Nowadays, nanoscience is a leading modern science that has a major impact on the food, pharmaceutical, and agriculture sectors. Several nanomaterials show a great potential for use during vine growing and winemaking processes. In viticulture, nanotechnology can be applied to protect vines against phytopathogens and to improve grape yield and quality. Thus, nanotechnology may allow the use of lesser amounts of phytochemical compounds, reducing environmental impact and promoting a more sustainable agriculture. And in winemaking, nanomaterials and nanodevices can be used to control the growth of spoilage microorganisms and to reduce or remove undesirable compounds, such as ethyl phenols (4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol), biogenic amines, and tartaric acid, and so on, as well as to facilitate some technological processes (i.e. in wine filtration to eliminate microorganisms). This review summarizes recent studies with applications of nanotechnology in viticulture in order to facilitate agronomic management and optimize grape production and in enology to improve wine quality and safety. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Spatialized system to monitor vine flowering: Towards a methodology based on a low-cost wireless sensor network

Monitoring grapevine phenology during the agricultural season is one of the most important tasks within the vine field since this is a key input for the proper planning of agricultural labor management. Traditionally, vine growers make very few phenological observations at the field level, which are extrapolated to an entire production unit, without considering the field natural spatial variability. This situation generates significant loss of agricultural inputs and energy, which makes the vine system less sustainable, because this vineyard natural spatial variability is not usually considered in the field management. In this study, two models were tested using information recollected by a meteorological weather station and a wireless sensor network (WSN) to estimate vineyard phenology in a key period such as flowering. Therefore, the general objective of this proposal is to develop a low-cost wireless sensor network (WSN) for monitoring the spatial variability of vine phenology in a commercial vineyard. Results indicated that both models presented a better estimation of vine phenology during the second season, given that the first season was affected by the ENSO “La Niña” climatic effect. However, it can be noted that the Parker model (GPV) presented better phenological estimation than the Monomolecular equation-based model (ME), when using a low-cost wireless sensor network. Based on the results, we can conclude that it is possible to develop and implement a low-cost electronic device for the monitoring of spatialized phenological events in the vineyard.