Irrigation Targeted to Provoke Ejection of Ascospores of Shortens the Season for Ascospore Release and Results in Less Apple Scab.

Trials were carried out in apple orchards of Emilia-Romagna and Trentino-Alto Adige in northern Italy to investigate the effects of sprinkler irrigation on possible reduction in inoculum and subsequent disease pressure of , the ascomycete causing apple scab. In spring, volumetric spore traps were placed above apple leaf litter containing pseudothecia with ascospores of the fungus. Pseudothecia matured more rapidly in irrigated plots, and 95% of the total number of spores trapped in a season was reached on average 164 degree days (base temperature 0°C) earlier in irrigated compared with nonirrigated plots.

Distinct and Temporally Stable Assembly Mechanisms Shape Bacterial and Fungal Communities in Vineyard Soils.

Microbial communities in agricultural soils are fundamental for plant growth and in vineyard ecosystems contribute to defining regional wine quality. Managing soil microbes towards beneficial outcomes requires knowledge of how community assembly processes vary across taxonomic groups, spatial scales, and through time. However, our understanding of microbial assembly remains limited.

Microbiome of vineyard soils is shaped by geography and management.

Background: Despite their importance as a reservoir of biodiversity, the factors shaping soil microbial communities and the extent by which these are impacted by cultivation are still poorly understood. Using 16S rRNA gene and ITS sequencing, we characterized the soil microbiota of vineyards and of neighboring permanent grassland soils in the Italian province of Trentino, and correlated their structure and composition to location, chemical properties of the soil, and land management.

Results: Bacterial communities had a core of conserved taxa accounting for more than 60% of the reads of each sample, that was influenced both by geography and cultivation.

Induction of Terpene Biosynthesis in Berries of Microvine Transformed with Alleles.

Terpenoids, especially monoterpenes, are major aroma-impact compounds in grape and wine. Previous studies highlighted a key regulatory role for grapevine 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase 1 (VvDXS1), the first enzyme of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway for isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis. Here, the parallel analysis of genotype and terpene concentration in a germplasm collection demonstrated that sequence has a very high predictive value for the accumulation of monoterpenes and also has an influence on sesquiterpene levels.

The grapevine VvibZIPC22 transcription factor is involved in the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis.

In grapevine, flavonoids constitute one of the most abundant subgroups of secondary metabolites, influencing the quality, health value, and typicity of wines. Their synthesis in many plant species is mainly regulated at the transcriptional level by modulation of flavonoid pathway genes either by single regulators or by complexes of different regulators. In particular, bZIP and MYB factors interact synergistically in the recognition of light response units present in the promoter of some genes of the pathway, thus mediating light-dependent flavonoid biosynthesis.