The Role of Terroir on the Ripening Traits of V. vinifera cv 'Glera' in the Prosecco Area.

The grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is widely cultivated worldwide owing to the substantial commercial value of the grapes and other products derived from their processing, wines in particular. The grapevine is characterized by a remarkable phenotypic plasticity within the same variety, which shapes the final berry quality attributes hence reflecting the complex interactions between the plant and the environment leading to the expression of wine typicity. In this study, we explored the metabolomic and transcriptomic basis of the plasticity of Glera, a white berry grapevine variety particularly renowned for the production of wine Prosecco. The two selected vineyards varied for site altitude and pedoclimatic conditions. We highlighted that these environments determined different berry ripening dynamics at the level of both technological parameters and the total abundance and intrafamily distribution of phenolic compounds. Moreover, a clear impact on the grape aroma profile was observed. The genome-wide gene expression analysis of the berries revealed remarkable differences in the ripening transcriptomic program, reflecting the differences in water status, light exposure, and temperature experienced by the plants while growing at the two sites. Overall, this survey portrayed how the quality attributes of the cv 'Glera' grape berries may be affected by different environmental conditions within the typical area of Prosecco wine production.

Compost application boosts soil restoration in highly disturbed hillslope vineyard.

A field trial was carried out to investigate the effects of compost application on a young Cabernet sauvignon vineyard located in a hilly area in the North-East of Italy and subjected to land terracing before plantation. The use of a compost based on manure, pruning residues and pomace at a rate of 65 t ha-1 was compared to the mineral fertilization regime recommended for the vineyards in the area (NPK: 80, 50, 200 kg ha-1). A multi-factorial approach that considered soil chemical properties, microbial community structure and function, vine nutritional and vegetative indexes, yield and quality parameters was applied in the attempt of depict interrelated effects of compost on all these factors. Results of this study show that the application of compost for three consequent years greatly increased soil organic matter content and improved the mineral nutrient availability in the soil. Soil biological fertility showed a slow but significant response to compost addition as from the second year of treatment microbial growth and enzyme activity were increased compared to those of the inorganic fertilization, with special regard to enzymes involved in P cycle. A shift in the soil microbial community structure was also observed in compost-treated soil, with higher presence of copiotrophic bacteria, indicators of soil quality, and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria. A decrease of pathogenic fungal strains was also observed. Organic fertilization increased plant nutrient uptake and vegetative growth compared to those observed in chemically fertilized vines. A trend toward increased yield and improvements for some grape quality parameters such as acidity and pH were observed in the first year of production. These results provide evidence that compost can boost soil fertility restoration in vineyard disturbed by land terracing, allowing for agronomic performances comparable or even improved than those of chemically fertilized vines.

Comparative effects of drought stress on leaf gas exchange, foliar ABA and leaf orientation in four grapevine cultivars grown in Northern Italy.

Drought tolerance varies greatly across Vitis vinifera cultivars, depending on physiological responses and structural and morphological adaptations. In this study, responses to water stress were examined in three extensively cultivated varieties from Northern Italy. Over the course of two seasons, mature potted vines were subjected to a 12 or 13-day period of water restriction. Vine water relations were investigated using measures of water potential, gas exchanges, and leaf ABA content. Leaf angle response to increasing water stress was analysed in the four cultivars as a mechanism that improves stress tolerance. Different physiological responses were observed among cultivars, suggesting a near-isohydric water-use strategy for Moscato and a near-anisohydric one for Garganega, Glera and Merlot. Results of leaf ABA analysis highlighted a variability among the studied varieties, indicating higher contents and lower sensitivity to ABA for the anisohydric ones. In all varieties, a similar increase in midday leaf inclination was observed in response to decreasing stem water potentials, indicating that leaf angle adjustments may represent a common adaptive response to drought. These findings increase the understanding of the leaf physiological and structural mechanisms that contribute to water stress tolerance in grapevine, supporting a more efficient cultivar selection to cope with the expected changes in Mediterranean climate.

Physiological and Molecular Investigation of Urea Uptake Dynamics in Cucumis sativus L. Plants Fertilized With Urea-Doped Amorphous Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles.

At present, the quest for innovative and sustainable fertilization approaches aiming to improve agricultural productivity represents one of the major challenges for research. In this context, nanoparticle-based fertilizers can indeed offer an interesting alternative with respect to traditional bulk fertilizers. Several pieces of evidence have already addressed the effectiveness of amorphous calcium phosphate-based nanoparticles as carriers for macronutrients, such as nitrogen (N), demonstrating increase in crop productivity and improvement in quality. Nevertheless, despite N being a fundamental nutrient for crop growth and productivity, very little research has been carried out to understand the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning N-based fertilizers supplied to plants via nanocarriers. For these reasons, this study aimed to investigate the responses of Cucumis sativus L. to amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticles doped with urea (U-ACP). Urea uptake dynamics at root level have been investigated by monitoring both the urea acquisition rates and the modulation of urea transporter CsDUR3, whereas growth parameters, the accumulation of N in both root and shoots, and the general ionomic profile of both tissues have been determined to assess the potentiality of U-ACP as innovative fertilizers. The slow release of urea from nanoparticles and/or their chemical composition contributed to the upregulation of the urea uptake system for a longer period (up to 24 h after treatment) as compared to plants treated with bulk urea. This prolonged activation was mirrored by a higher accumulation of N in nanoparticle-treated plants (approximately threefold increase in the shoot of NP-treated plants compared to controls), even when the concentration of urea conveyed through nanoparticles was halved. In addition, besides impacting N nutrition, U-ACP also enhanced Ca and P concentration in cucumber tissues, thus having possible effects on plant growth and yield, and on the nutritional value of agricultural products.

Clinical and personality characteristics of adolescents with anorexia nervosa with or without non-suicidal self-injurious behavior.

PURPOSE: About one-fifth of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). This study examined clinical and temperament profile of female adolescents with both disorders (AN+NSSI) as compared with peers with AN only. METHODS: A consecutive sample of 73 female adolescents with AN (mean age: 13.77 years), who had been admitted to inpatient or day-hospital services, received clinical, cognitive, and temperament/character evaluations. Of them, 32 met DSM-5 criteria also for NSSI. Assessments included demographics, standard nutrition parameters, Youth Self-Report (YSR), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV (WISC-IV), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). RESULTS: No differences were detected between AN+NSSI and AN in demographics, body mass index, or age at onset of AN. AN+NSSI had higher rate of binging and purging, higher YSR scores for both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, lower total IQ, and lower Self-directedness and Cooperativeness scores. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that adolescents with AN+NSSI have psychopathological, cognitive and overall character features that differ from patients with AN only. These characteristics may have implications for treatment and outcome.

Isolation, molecular characterization and virome analysis of culturable wood fungal endophytes in esca symptomatic and asymptomatic grapevine plants.

Europe is the world largest grape producer, but in recent years, the report of diseases due to infection by grapevine trunk pathogens (GTPs) is becoming one of the main constraints for viticulture. Among grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs), esca syndrome is one of the most complex, characterized by simultaneous infection of several fungi, which leads to important reduction in yield and quality. Previous characterization of fungal isolates associated with esca syndrome leads to the recognition of at least three important players: Phaeocremonium minimum, Phaemoniella chlamydospora and Fomitiporia mediterranea. Here we isolated and characterized molecularly fungal endophytes directly from field wood tissues of plants showing or not esca symptoms. In addition, to better characterize such collection, a deep RNA sequencing (100 M reads in paired-end) to screen for mycovirus presence was performed. Thirty-nine viral genomes were detected, 38 of which were putative new viral species; some of these viruses infected GTPs, including P. minimum and F. mediterranea. In this work, we reported for the first time a curated collection of grapevine fungal endophytes identifying the associated mycoviruses some of which could be employed in future biotechnological exploitation as biological control agents for sustainable plant protection.

Low night temperature at veraison enhances the accumulation of anthocyanins in Corvina grapes (Vitis Vinifera L.).

Climate change is a major concern in grape production worldwide. Nights have been warming much faster than the days, raising attention on the effect of night temperatures on grape and wine composition. In this study we evaluated the effect of night temperatures on grape coloration in the cv. Corvina (Vitis vinifera L.). In 2015 and 2016 potted plants were cooled overnight (10-11 °C) during two berry ripening phases, veraison (TV) or post-veraison (TPV), and compared to control vines (C) grown at ambient night temperature (15-20 °C on average). Cooling treatment around veraison (TV) hastened berry anthocyanin accumulation, while the same treatment applied after veraison (TPV) was ineffective. Molecular analysis revealed an increased transcription of four key genes in anthocyanin biosynthesis (CHS3, F3H1, MYBA1 and UFGT) in TV treatment. These results suggest that the anthocyanin biosynthesis capacity was enhanced by cool nights during veraison. However, since the gene expression was not always temporally correlated to the increase in anthocyanin concentration, we speculate on the presence of mechanisms, such as enzymatic regulation or anthocyanin transport, which may contribute in determining the anthocyanin accumulation under low night temperatures.

Influence of vineyard altitude on Glera grape ripening (Vitis vinifera L.): effects on aroma evolution and wine sensory profile.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors have been acknowledged to greatly influence grape and wine aromas. Among them, the effect of altitude on grape aroma compounds has scarcely been debated in literature available to date. In the present study, we investigated the influence of altitude on grape composition and aroma evolution during ripening of Vitis vinifera L. cultivar Glera grown in Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG area (Italy). RESULTS: The site at highest altitude (380 m above sea level) was warmer than the lowest site (200 m above sea level) and, even with differences in temperature in the range 1.5-2 °C, the impact of the cultivation site on grape ripening and aroma accumulation and preservation was significant. The lowest site demonstrated slower grape ripening, and grapes at harvest accumulated lower amounts of all of the main classes of aroma compounds typical of the Glera variety. Wines produced from the highest site were preferred in tasting trials for their more patent floral notes and elegance. CONCLUSION: Altitude strongly influences grape ripening evolution and flavour accumulation in the Glera grape, and this result accounts for the different styles in the sparkling wines subsequently produced. Moreover, the present study shows that aroma compound biosynthesis, particularly that of benzenoides, starts before véraison in Glera. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparing Kaolin and Pinolene to Improve Sustainable Grapevine Production during Drought.

Viticulture is widely practiced in dry regions, where the grapevine is greatly exposed to water stress. Optimizing plant water use efficiency (WUE) without affecting crop yield, grape and wine quality is crucial to limiting use of water for irrigation and to significantly improving viticulture sustainability. This study examines the use in vineyards of particle film technology (engineered kaolin) and compares it to a film-forming antitranspirant (pinolene), traditionally used to limit leaf water loss, and to an untreated control. The trial was carried out under field conditions over three growing seasons, during which moderate to very severe plant water stress (down to -1.9 MPa) was measured through stem water potential. Leaf stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthesis rate (An) were measured during the seasons and used to compute intrinsic WUE (WUEi, defined as An/gs ratio). Leaf temperature was also recorded and compared between treatments. Bunch quantity, bunch and berry weight, sugar accumulation, anthocyanin and flavonoid contents were measured. Finally, microvinifications were performed and resultant wines subjected to sensory evaluation.Results showed that the use of kaolin increased grapevine intrinsic WUE (+18% on average as compared to unsprayed vines) without affecting berry and bunch weight and quantity, or sugar level. Anthocyanin content increased (+35%) in kaolin treatment, and the wine was judged more attractive (p-value <0.05) and slightly more appreciated (p-value < 0.1) than control. Pinolene did not increase WUEi, limiting An more than gs; grapes with this treatment contained lower sugar and anthocyanin content than control, and the obtained wine was the least appreciated. This study demonstrates that particle film technology can improve vine WUEi and wine quality at the same time, while traditional antitranspirants were not as effective for these purposes. This positive effect can be used in interaction with other already-demonstrated uses of particle film technology, such as pest control and sunburn reduction, in order to achieve more sustainable vineyard management.

The Book of Vinesprouts of Koszeg (Hungary): a documentary source for reconstructing spring temperatures back to the eighteenth century.

Following an age-old tradition, since 1740, in the town of Koszeg in western Hungary, samples of grapevine shoots are annually harvested on St. George's Day, 24 April, and then are pictorially reproduced in the so-called Book of Vinesprouts. Given the strong relationships between temperature and grapevine phenology, the book represents a potential source for reconstructing past spring temperatures. However, this document has been little utilized so far, due to high varietal heterogeneity and lingering uncertainty regarding cultivar identity. This research developed an approach to address these difficulties, by means of a single-cultivar-based modeling analysis, associated with a set of alternative hypotheses about cultivar early development for the period to be reconstructed. Each hypothesis allowed the calculation of a different past temperature reconstruction, which was evaluated against contemporary independent observational data. The results showed that all the development stages recorded before 1900 were compatible with a vine type with a very low heat requirement for bud burst. Estimates were derived from a model calibrated on a subset of drawings of unknown cultivars executed between 1875 and 1898. The model based on this data subset was the only one giving a consistent reconstruction of spring temperatures, expressed as accumulated growing degree days going back to 1740. Although some uncertainty still exists regarding the reconstruction, the research shows that the Book of Vinesprouts contains generally consistent information about spring temperatures for a period of over 269 years for this region of Hungary.

Changes in LDL Oxidative Status and Oxidative and Inflammatory Gene Expression after Red Wine Intake in Healthy People: A Randomized Trial.

Postprandial oxidative stress is characterized by an increased susceptibility of the organism towards oxidative damage after consumption of a meal rich in lipids and/or carbohydrates. Micronutrients modulate immune system and exert a protective action by reducing low density lipoproteins (LDL) oxidation via induction of antioxidant enzymes. We evaluated the gene expression of oxidative stress (HOSp), inflammasome (HIp), and human drug metabolism pathways (HDM) and ox-LDL level at baseline and after the intake of red wine naturally enriched with resveratrol (NPVRW), in association with or without a McDonald's meal (McDM). The ox-LDL levels significantly increase comparing baseline (B) versus McDM and decreased comparing McDM versus McDM + NPVRW (P ≤ 0.05). Percentages of significant genes expressed after each nutritional intervention were the following: (1) B versus McDM, 2.88% HOSp, 2.40% of HIp, and 3.37% of HDMp; (2) B versus McDM + NPVRW, 1.44% of HOSp, 4.81% of HIp, and 0.96% of HDMp; (3) McDM versus McDM + NPVRW, 2.40% of HOSp, 2.40% of HIp, and 5.77% of HDMp; (4) B versus NPVRW, 4.80% HOSp, 3.85% HIp, and 3.85% HDMp. NPVRW intake reduced postprandial ox-LDL and the expression of inflammation and oxidative stress related genes. Chronic studies on larger population are necessary before definitive conclusions.

Valorization of genetic variability for the qualitative improvement of autochthonous grape cultivars of Cirò's terroir through the self-fertilization.

This study uses PCR-derived marker systems to investigate the genetic differences of 22 grapevine accessions obtained through a self-fertilization program using Gaglioppo and Magliocco dolce. The aim of the study was to improve some qualitative parameters, while preserving the adaptive characteristics of these two cultivars to the adverse environmental conditions of the Calabria region (southern Italy). These two Calabrian grapevines have been cultivated within a restricted area and have been placed under a strong anthropic pressure which has limited their phenotypical variability with no selection of higher performant biotypes. Therefore, to have accessions with improved qualitative traits, a program of genetic improvement based on the self-fertilization of Gaglioppo and Magliocco dolce cultivars was performed in 1998, producing 3,122 accessions. Selection cycles were performed in 14 years. A first selection cycle (1998-2000), based on visual inspection of vegetative traits, selected 1,320 accessions, planted in an experimental vineyard in 2000. A second selection cycle (2000-2008), based on phenotypic traits, sanitary aspects, and chemical composition of the grapes, selected 42 accessions, planted in a new experimental vineyard in 2008. A final selection cycle (2008-2012), produced 22 accessions (virus free), with the best agronomic, sanitary, and qualitative aspects: two accessions obtained from Gaglioppo have been selected by color characteristics (i.e., anthocyanin total content and stability); 20 genotypes obtained from Magliocco dolce had a better macro-composition of the grape (i.e., good sugar content with a balanced acidity). SSR analyses were performed to check the self-fertilization process. The study of genetic differences between accessions was performed by AFLPs, SAMPLs, and M-AFLPs. The application of the above-mentioned techniques allowed both to discriminate molecularly the 22 accessions grouped these accessions according to their genetic similarity. The self-fertilization approach has enabled improvement in the quality of the grapes, while preserving the high degree of adaptation to the environment of these two native Calabrian cultivars in southern Italy.