Cover crops can mitigate effects on grape pathogen dispersal

Different kind of ground covers has been indicated as an efficient way to limit rain-splashed dispersal of disease-causing spores in several crops, but not in vineyards. In the CORE Organic Cofund project BIOVINE cover crops are tested to reduce both splash- and air-borne diseases

Helping farmers face the increasing complexity of decision-making for crop protection

The European Community Directive 128/2009 on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides establishes a strategy for the use of plant protection products (PPPs) in the European Community so as to reduce risks to human health and the environment. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a key component of this strategy, which will become mandatory in 2014. IPM is based on dynamic processes and requires decision-making at strategic, tactical, and operational levels. Relative to decision makers in conventional agricultural systems, decision makers in IPM systems require more knowledge and must deal with greater complexity. Different tools have been developed for supporting decision-making in plant disease control and include warning services, on-site devices, and decision support systems (DSSs). These decision-support tools operate at different spatial and time scales, are provided to users both by public and private sources, focus on different communication modes, and can support multiple options for delivering information to farmers. Characteristics, weaknesses, and strengths of these tools are described in this review. Also described are recently developed DSSs, which are characterised by: i) holistic treatment of crop management problems (including pests, diseases, fertilisation, canopy management and irrigation); ii) conversion of complex decision processes into simple and easy-to-understand ‘decision supports’; iii) easy and rapid access through the Internet; and iv) two-way communication between users and providers that make it possible to consider context-specific information. These DSSs are easy-to-use tools that perform complex tasks efficiently and effectively. The delivery of these DSSs via the Internet increases user accessibility, allows the DSSs to be updated easily and continuously (so that new knowledge can be rapidly and efficiently provided to farmers), and allows users to maintain close contact with providers

Combining biocontrol agents with different mechanisms of action in a strategy to control Botrytis cinerea on grapevine

The use of several microbial biocontrol agents to combat Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of grey mould, has been studied. However, only a few microorganisms have been developed as biofungicides, which are currently used in some countries, mostly in organic farming. The main reason for the limited market uptake of microbial biofungicides is their debated variable efficacy. To cope with poor survival in the canopy, due to unfavourable environmental conditions or their intrinsic lower level of disease control compared to synthetic chemical fungicides, use of a mixture of two or more microorganisms with different environmental requirements and mechanisms of action has been proposed with contrasting results. However, their use in strategies involving calculated timing of the microbial biocontrol agents, taking into consideration their mechanism of action in relation to the epidemiology and pathogenesis of the disease, has never been attempted in relation to combating grey mould on grapes. The results of four years of trials in three locations in Northern and Central Italy show that Trichoderma atroviride, Aureobasidium pullulans and Bacillus subtilis, applied at bunch-closure, veraison and pre-harvest, respectively, controlled B. cinerea on bunches very satisfactorily, and the results did not differ from those obtained with a strategy combining the three biofungicides, applied at the aforementioned stages. Colonisation of berries by each of the different microbial biocontrol agents at harvest time did not differ for individual treatments or when applied in the combined strategy, suggesting that the microorganisms did not negatively interfere with each other and that they may possibly occupy different ecological niches. The high level of efficacy of the tested biocontrol agents against grey mould can be explained with the relatively low-medium level of the disease, their integration with agronomic practices or the optimal timing of the treatment

La piattaforma digitale nazionale INNOVance a supporto della filiera delle costruzioni

Il primo volume della collana presenta il quadro generale, evidenziando gli strumenti messi a punto e integrati in INNOVance e mostrando come questi siano indispensabili per traguardare fattivamente la transizione al digitale del settore delle costruzioni. Dopo un’introduzione di carattere generale, vengono descritti il sistema di classificazione e co- difica definiti per poter identificare in modo univoco i diversi oggetti contenuti nella banca dati, dai prodotti della costruzione sino alle opere, passando attraverso livelli di comples- sità tecnologica, ovvero gli elementi in opera, i sistemi assemblati, i sistemi tecnologici co- struttivi e impiantistici, nonché quelli spaziali e quelli relativi alla gestione dei processi, ovvero le attività, con le risorse umane e i mezzi d’opera necessari per svilupparle.In secondo luogo si riportano le schede tecniche digitali che rappresentano la struttura della Banca Dati INNOVANCE, e in particolare in questo volume quelle relative ai livelli di più elevata complessità tecnologica, come quelle relative all’opera in quanto tale e al si- stema funzionale-spaziale. A seguire si presenta la Banca Dati INNOVance e quindi il portale, con i suoi contenuti, ov- vero la BIM Library, il BIM server e gli strumenti utili per la gestione delle gare indispen- sabili per poter affrontare le nuove frontiere del digitale secondo quanto previsto dal nuo- vo Codice degli Appalti in una prospettiva rivolta a Industria 4.0, oltre che naturalmente le funzionalità relative alla profilazione degli utenti e alla gestione degli oggetti contenuti nella Banca Dati. Per concludere il volume riporta in sintesi gli sviluppi della Banca Dati INNOVance in merito all’interoperabilità potenzialmente verso qualsiasi tipo di software e la sua applicazione agli aspetti di efficienza energetica, nonché le ricadute sulla normativa in primo luogo na- zionale nelle diverse parti delle norme UNI 11337 “Gestione digitale dei processi informa- tivi delle costruzioni”, utili anche per poter dare un contributo nazionale alle norme in- ternazionali in fase di sviluppo nei gruppi di lavoro ISO TC 59 SC 13 “Organization of infor- mation about construction works” e CEN TC 442 Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Development and Validation of a Mechanistic Model That Predicts Infection by Diaporthe ampelina, the Causal Agent of Phomopsis Cane and Leaf Spot of Grapevines

Phomopsis cane and leaf spot (PCLS), known in Europe as “excoriose,” is an important fungal disease of grapevines caused by Diaporthe spp., and most often by Diaporthe ampelina (synonym Phomopsis viticola). PCLS is re-emerging worldwide, likely due to climate change, changes in the management of downy mildew from calendar- to risk-based criteria that eliminate early-season (unnecessary) sprays, and the progressive reduction in the application of broad-spectrum fungicides. In this study, a mechanistic model for D. ampelina infection was developed based on published information. The model accounts for the following processes: (i) overwintering and maturation of pycnidia on affected canes; (ii) dispersal of alpha conidia to shoots and leaves; (iii) infection; and (iv) onset of disease symptoms. The model uses weather and host phenology to predict infection periods and disease progress during the season. Model output was validated against 11 independent PCLS epidemics that occurred in Italy (4 vineyards in 2019 and 2020) and Montenegro (3 vineyards in 2020). The model accurately predicted PCLS disease progress, with a concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) = 0.925 between observed and predicted data. A ROC analysis (AUROC>0.7) confirmed the ability of the model to predict the infection periods leading to an increase in PCLS severity in the field, indicating that growers could use the model to perform risk-based fungicide applications

A mechanistic model of Botrytis cinerea on grapevines that includes weather, vine growth stage, and the main infection pathways

A mechanistic model for Botrytis cinerea on grapevine was developed. The model, which accounts for conidia production on various inoculum sources and for multiple infection pathways, considers two infection periods. During the first period (“inflorescences clearly visible” to “berries groat-sized”), the model calculates: i) infection severity on inflorescences and young clusters caused by conidia (SEV1). During the second period (“majority of berries touching” to “berries ripe for harvest”), the model calculates: ii) infection severity of ripening berries by conidia (SEV2); and iii) severity of berry-to-berry infection caused by mycelium (SEV3). The model was validated in 21 epidemics (vineyard × year combinations) between 2009 and 2014 in Italy and France. A discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used to: i) evaluate the ability of the model to predict mild, intermediate, and severe epidemics; and ii) assess how SEV1, SEV2, and SEV3 contribute to epidemics. The model correctly classified the severity of 17 of 21 epidemics. Results from DFA were also used to calculate the daily probabilities that an ongoing epidemic would be mild, intermediate, or severe. SEV1 was the most influential variable in discriminating between mild and intermediate epidemics, whereas SEV2 and SEV3 were relevant for discriminating between intermediate and severe epidemics. The model represents an improvement of previous B. cinerea models in viticulture and could be useful for making decisions about Botrytis bunch rot control

Il processo edilizio supportato dal BIM: l'approccio innovance

Il terzo volume della collana dedicata a INNOVance, presenta l’interpretazione del concetto di BIM elaborata durante il progetto. Una prima parte del documento illustra le esperienze del capitolo italiano IAI, nate in seno al Dipartimento BEST del Politecnico di Milano – poi confluito nel dipartimento ABC - e che sono state premessa del progetto INNOVance. Vengono poi mostrati i concetti di BIM e gli esiti del progetto, in particolare le procedure e i requisiti per la produzione di librerie BIM Interoperabili che sono state definite da INNOVance, aspetto quest’ultimo che ha caratterizzato profondamente il lavoro. La questione del BIM e delle librerie BIM è oggetto di particolare attenzione da parte degli operatori dell’industria edilizia, anche grazie a diversi programmi di ricerca internazionali, tra i quali spicca l’esperienza della National BIM Library britannica sotto l’egida del NBS. La tecnologia BIM, oggi vista da molti come forza propulsiva per lo sviluppo e l’innovazione del settore edilizio, richiede standard operativi utili a garantire che l’informazione possa essere condivisa e soprattutto che possa essere utilizzata da tutti gli operatori del processo. Lo sviluppo di librerie BIM interoperabili è una premessa necessaria per questo ed è un passo fondamentale per facilitare la diffusione del BIM nell’intero processo. L’interpretazione del BIM da parte di INNOVance parte da tale assunto. Si è perciò dedicata grande attenzione allo sviluppo delle librerie, per definire le quali si sono prima di tutto individuati alcuni modelli di riferimento da utilizzare come casi studio nei quali sperimentare le soluzioni tecnologiche digitali costruite come oggetti BIM. Questi ultimi, codificati secondo gli standard INNOVance, sono stati verificati in termini di interoperabilità, requisito fondamentale per garantire condivisione e usabilità dell’informazione lungo la filiera edilizia. L’esito del lavoro, per qualità e approfondimento nonché per le proposte avanzate, colloca a buon diritto INNOVance all’avanguardia in ambito internazionale INNOVance ha inoltre tracciato i requisiti, in termini di standard e norme, che hanno portato allo sviluppo della normativa italiana sul BIM attualmente in fase di gestazione e di cui si anticipano alcuni contenuti nel presente testo

Sporulation rate in culture and mycoparasitic activity, but not mycohost specificity, are the key factors for selecting Ampelomyces strains for biocontrol of grapevine powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator)

To develop a new biofungicide product against grapevine powdery mildew, caused by Erysiphe necator, cultural characteristics and mycoparasitic activities of pre-selected strains of Ampelomyces spp. were compared in laboratory tests to the commercial strain AQ10. Then, a 2-year experiment was performed in five vineyards with a selected strain, RS1-a, and the AQ10 strain. This consisted of autumn sprays in vineyards as the goal was to reduce the number of chasmothecia of E. necator, and, thus, the amount of overwintering inocula, instead of targeting the conidial stage of the pathogen during spring and summer. This is a yet little explored strategy to manage E. necator in vineyards. Laboratory tests compared the growth and sporulation of colonies of a total of 33 strains in culture; among these, eight strains with superior characteristics were compared to the commercial product AQ10 Biofungicide® in terms of their intrahyphal spread, pycnidial production, and reduction of both asexual and sexual reproduction in E. necator colonies. Mycoparasitic activities of the eight strains isolated from six different powdery mildew species, including E. necator, did not depend on their mycohost species of origin. Strain RS1-a, isolated from rose powdery mildew, showed, togetherwith three strains from E. necator, the highest rate of parasitism of E. necator chasmothecia. In field experiments, each strain, AQ10 and RS1-a, applied twice in autumn, significantly delayed and reduced early-season development of grapevine powdery mildew in the next year. Therefore, instead of mycohost specificity of Ampelomyces presumed in some works, but not confirmed by this study, the high sporulation rate in culture and the mycoparasitic patterns became the key factors for proposing strain RS1-a for further development as a biocontrol agent of E. necator

Almighty Cover Crops

Fungal pathogens are able to produce inoculum (spores) on plant debris present on the soil surface of vineyards. These spores can then reach plant surfaces and cause severe grapevine infections when environmental conditions are favourable. The capacity of plant diversity to increase the resistance of crops towards pests and invasive species is very well-known. For instance, Brassica spp. have been already investigated for their capacity to effectively suppress soil-borne inoculum of some causal agents of Black-foot disease in grapevines in vineyard soils. It may also have positive effect on the some dagger nematodes. Cover crops also stimulate the development of microbial communities such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Many management strategies have been developed against these important grapevine pathogens, but the effects of soil cover vegetation or organic mulching against spore dispersal, acting as a barrier, have been scarcely explored. Thus, in the BIOVINE project (www.biovine.eu) specific experiments were planned in order to verify the possibility of using cover crops: i) to control some relevant pathogens producing inoculum (spores) on plant debris present on the soil surface of vineyards; ii) to determine the presence of causal agents of Petri disease of grapevines on the roots of cover crops; iii) to promote mykorrhizal communities associated with grapevine roots; iv) to control arthropod pests (repellent of arthropods or attracting beneficials); v) to investigate Brassica plants effect on the soil-borne pest nematode Xiphinema index