Assessment of grape cluster yield components based on 3D descriptors using stereo vision

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Food Control. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Food Control, [Volume 50, April 2015, Pages 273–282] DOI 10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.09.004Wine quality depends mostly on the features of the grapes it is made from. Cluster and berry morphology are key factors in determining grape and wine quality. However, current practices for grapevine quality estimation require time-consuming destructive analysis or largely subjective judgment by experts. The purpose of this paper is to propose a three-dimensional computer vision approach to assessing grape yield components based on new 3D descriptors. To achieve this, firstly a partial three-dimensional model of the grapevine cluster is extracted using stereo vision. After that a number of grapevine quality components are predicted using SVM models based on new 3D descriptors. Experiments confirm that this approach is capable of predicting the main cluster yield components, which are related to quality, such as cluster compactness and berry size (R2 > 0.80, p < 0.05). In addition, other yield components: cluster volume, total berry weight and number of berries, were also estimated using SVM models, obtaining prediction R2 of 0.82, 0.83 and 0.71, respectively.This work has been partially funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria de Espana (INIA - Spanish National Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology) through research project RTA2012-00062-C04-02, support of European FEDER funds, UPV-SP20120276 and AGL2011-23673 project.Ivorra Martínez, E.; Sánchez Salmerón, AJ.; Camarasa Baixauli, JG.; Diago, M.; Tardaguila, J. (2015). Assessment of grape cluster yield components based on 3D descriptors using stereo vision. Food Control. 50:273-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.09.004S2732825

Monitoring and mapping soil functionality in degraded areas of organic European vineyards

Soil malfunctioning, caused by an improper land preparation before vine plantation and/or management, is a common problem in European vineyards. Soil malfunctioning can include: reduced contribution of the soil fauna, poor organic matter content, imbalance nutritional status, altered pH, water deficiency, soil compaction and/or scarce oxygenation. To address these problems, ReSolVe, a transnational European research project, aimed at testing the effects of selected agronomic strategies for restoring optimal soil functionality in degraded areas within organic vineyard. The project involves 8 research groups in 6 different EU countries (Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, Slovenia, and Turkey) with experts from several disciplines including soil science, ecology, microbiology, grapevine physiology, viticulture, and biometry. The experimental vineyards are situated in Italy (Chianti hills and Maremma plain, Tuscany), Spain (La Rioja), France (Bordeaux and Languedoc), and Slovenia (Primorska) for winegrapes, and in Turkey (Adana and Mersin) for tablegrapes. Three different restoring strategies have been implemented: (i) compost, (ii) green manure with winter legumes, and (iii) dry mulching with cover crops. These strategies have being tested according to their efficiency to improve i) plant and root growth; and ii) grape yield and quality; optimize iii) the quality of soil ecosystem services; and iv) the terroir effect. The first activity of the project was characterizing and mapping the degraded areas within experimental vineyards. In the work we used non-invasive technologies to characterize soil and plant status. In Spanish and Italian vineyards, the delineation of degraded areas was performed by gamma-ray spectroscopy for topsoil, RGB machine vision for canopy status and thermography for plant water status. Gamma-ray spectroscopy measured continuously the natural gamma-ray emitted from the first 30-40 cm of soil, calculating the contribution of the main radionuclides (40K, 232Th, and 238U). The spectra of gamma-ray were able to provide information about mineralogy, texture, surficial stoniness and carbonates. RGB and thermal cameras were used to assess canopy porosity, leaf area exposure and vine water status of both degraded and non-degraded areas. All soil, canopy and water status parameters were mapped

Efficacy of the Vaccine Candidate Based on the P0 Peptide against Dermacentor nitens and Ixodes ricinus Ticks

(This article belongs to the Collection Advances in Tick Research)The control of ticks through vaccination offers a sustainable alternative to the use of chemicals that cause contamination and the selection of resistant tick strains. However, only a limited number of anti-tick vaccines have reached commercial realization. In this sense, an antigen effective against different tick species is a desirable target for developing such vaccines. A peptide derived from the tick P0 protein (pP0) conjugated to a carrier protein has been demonstrated to be effective against the Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and Amblyomma mixtum tick species. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of this peptide when conjugated to the Bm86 protein against Dermacentor nitens and Ixodes ricinus ticks. An RNAi experiment using P0 dsRNA from I. ricinus showed a dramatic reduction in the feeding of injected female ticks on guinea pigs. In the follow-up vaccination experiments, rabbits were immunized with the pP0-Bm86 conjugate and challenged simultaneously with larvae, nymphs, and the adults of I. ricinus ticks. In the same way, horses were immunized with the pP0-Bm86 conjugate and challenged with D. nitens larva. The pP0-Bm86 conjugate showed efficacies of 63% and 55% against I. ricinus and D. nitens ticks, respectively. These results, combined with previous reports of efficacy for this conjugate, show the promising potential for its development as a broad-spectrum anti-tick vaccine.This research was funded by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba, the Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, and the Czech Science Foundation grant no. 20-05736S. Mobility was supported by the CYTED Network INCOGARR 110RT0541.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Manejo do dossel vegetativo e seu efeito nos componentes de produção da videira Merlot.

A poda verde é uma prática cultural utilizada para melhorar as condições do dossel vegetativo dos vinhedos, visando a favorecer a qualidade da uva e do vinho. Nesse sentido, realizou-se este experimento entre as safras de 1993/1994 e 1996/1997, com diferentes modalidades de poda verde, num vinhedo do cv. Merlot conduzido em latada. Houve 12 tratamentos e três repetições, sendo o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados. Os tratamentos constituíram-se da testemunha e de 11 diferentes modalidades de poda verde, ou seja, desbrota, desponta e desfolha, algumas delas em diferentes épocas do ciclo vegetativo da videira. O componente principal 1, da análise de componentes principais (ACP) feita em cada ano, separadamente, mostra que o tratamento 10 (desbrota + desponta + desfolha realizada no início da floração, eliminando-se as folhas abaixo dos cachos) discriminou-se nos quatro anos, e os tratamentos 7 (desfolha realizada 21 dias antes da colheita, eliminando-se metade das folhas abaixo dos cachos) e 6 (desfolha realizada 21 dias antes da colheita, eliminando-se as folhas abaixo dos cachos), em três deles; a ACP da média dos quatro anos também evidencia essa discriminação entre eles. Constata-se que o tratamento 10 foi um dos que tiveram intensidade de poda verde mais intensa, caracterizando-se por variáveis indicativas de plantas com vigor e produtividade mais baixos que os demais

A global research priority agenda to advance public health responses to fatty liver disease

Background & aims An estimated 38% of adults worldwide have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). From individual impacts to widespread public health and economic consequences, the implications of this disease are profound. This study aimed to develop an aligned, prioritised fatty liver disease research agenda for the global health community. Methods Nine co-chairs drafted initial research priorities, subsequently reviewed by 40 core authors and debated during a three-day in-person meeting. Following a Delphi methodology, over two rounds, a large panel (R1 n = 344, R2 n = 288) reviewed the priorities, via Qualtrics XM, indicating agreement using a four-point Likert-scale and providing written feedback. The core group revised the draft priorities between rounds. In R2, panellists also ranked the priorities within six domains: epidemiology, models of care, treatment and care, education and awareness, patient and community perspectives, and leadership and public health policy. Results The consensus-built fatty liver disease research agenda encompasses 28 priorities. The mean percentage of ‘agree’ responses increased from 78.3 in R1 to 81.1 in R2. Five priorities received unanimous combined agreement (‘agree’ + ‘somewhat agree’); the remaining 23 priorities had >90% combined agreement. While all but one of the priorities exhibited at least a super-majority of agreement (>66.7% ‘agree’), 13 priorities had 90% combined agreement. Conclusions Adopting this multidisciplinary consensus-built research priorities agenda can deliver a step-change in addressing fatty liver disease, mitigating against its individual and societal harms and proactively altering its natural history through prevention, identification, treatment, and care. This agenda should catalyse the global health community’s efforts to advance and accelerate responses to this widespread and fast-growing public health threat. Impact and implications An estimated 38% of adults and 13% of children and adolescents worldwide have fatty liver disease, making it the most prevalent liver disease in history. Despite substantial scientific progress in the past three decades, the burden continues to grow, with an urgent need to advance understanding of how to prevent, manage, and treat the disease. Through a global consensus process, a multidisciplinary group agreed on 28 research priorities covering a broad range of themes, from disease burden, treatment, and health system responses to awareness and policy. The findings have relevance for clinical and non-clinical researchers as well as funders working on fatty liver disease and non-communicable diseases more broadly, setting out a prioritised, ranked research agenda for turning the tide on this fast-growing public health threat

Mechanical yield regulation in winegrapes: Comparison of early defoliation and crop thinning

Background and Aims: Winter pruning and manual bunch thinning are the primary methods for crop regulation in viticulture. Recently, innovative mechanical approaches have been proposed as cost-effective for yield management. The aim of this work was to compare the effectiveness of mechanical early defoliation and mechanical crop thinning on yield regulation, and on grape and wine composition. Methods and Results: The impact of mechanical early defoliation and crop thinning, applied at different timings, was investigated in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo vertically shoot-positioned-trained grapevines over two seasons. Effects on yield components, leaf area, botrytis incidence, grape and wine composition were determined. Yield per vine was drastically reduced by both techniques (35-40%). Bunch weight, number of berries per bunch, bunch compactness and botrytis were also reduced by most of the treatments. Total leaf area per vine was not affected, however, the total leaf area-to-yield ratio increased in most cases. Berry soluble solids, anthocyanins and total phenols increased in the grapes. Wines were higher in alcohol and more intensely coloured in mechanical early defoliation treatments in comparison with those of mechanical thinning. Conclusions: Mechanical early defoliation and crop thinning may be suitable and efficient for regulating grape yield and improving grape and wine composition. Early defoliation, however, appeared to be more consistent. Significance of the Study: Effective yield control in winegrapes may be accomplished by mechanical techniques implemented between pre-flowering and veraison. The choice of mechanical technique for yield management may influence the grape and wine composition. © 2012 Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology Inc

Effects of mechanical thinning on fruit and wine composition and sensory attributes of Grenache and Tempranillo cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.).

Background and Aims: Cost-effective yield control is required by the wine industry in order to reduce the existing worldwide wine surplus and to improve grape quality. The object of this study was to evaluate the chemical and sensory effects on the resulting wines of mechanical cluster thinning performed at different intensities on Grenache, and at different timings (pea size and veraison) on Tempranillo. Methods and Results: The experiments were conducted with a machine harvester in 2007 on two commercial vertical shoot-positioned vineyards in Spain's Rioja region. In both varieties, mechanical thinning was effective in yield reduction and resulted in more ripened fruit, and wines with higher alcohol and pH values, more intense colour and increased phenolic content. Regardless of the thinning intensity, sensory changes were less noticeable in Grenache than in Tempranillo wines. Of the latter, those from vines thinned during veraison were less aromatic and sour, but had increased astringency. Conclusions: Yield management through mechanical thinning induced changes to the chemical composition of fruit and wines as well as to the wines' aroma, taste and mouthfeel. The extent of the sensory implications seems to depend on several factors such as the variety and timing of thinning application. Significance of the Study: This is one of the first studies addressing the effects of mechanical thinning on the sensory properties of the resulting wine and has implications for viticultural management practices. © 2010 Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology Inc

USING A FLUORESCENCE PROXIMAL SENSOR TO STUDY SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF GRAPE PHENOLS IN A TEMPRANILLO VINEYARD

The phenol content of berries is a very important parameter to define grape and wine quality. The aim of this work was to study the spatial variability of grape phenols in a vineyard using a new proximal fluorescence sensor. A regular sampling grid of 67 blocks was built in a 2.2 ha Tempranillo (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard. The phenol content of grapes was assessed using a portable fluorescence sensor, called Multiplex\u2122, in three clusters of three vines per block at two different timing (veraison and harvest). Omnidirectional semivariograms were built for three Multiplex\u2122 parameters (ANTH_RG, FERARI and FLAV) which are related to anthocyanins and flavonols content in grapes. Kriged maps were obtained for each parameter at veraison and harvest. All parameters showed a stronger spatial dependence at veraison and a larger range at harvest. These results suggest that a portable proximal sensor can be used to assess the spatial variability of grape phenols in a vineyard and for mapping winegrape composition attributes

Early leaf removal impact on volatile composition of Tempranillo wines

Background: Early defoliation is a very innovative technique in viticulture used for yield management. The effects of early leaf removal performed manually and mechanically at two different phenological stages, pre-bloom and fruit set, on the volatile composition of Tempranillo (Vitis vinifera L.) wines were studied. Volatiles were identified and quantified by gas chromatography. Results: Early leaf removal only modified the total concentrations of C 6 compounds and acetates, whereas total alcohols, esters, volatile acids and terpenes remained generally unaffected. Early defoliation induced a significant reduction in C 6 compounds and increased the concentrations of acetates in Tempranillo wines. An effect of timing (pre-bloom vs fruit set) alone was observed for all acetates analysed. Regarding the method of defoliation (manual vs mechanical), significant differences in some ethyl ester (ethyl-2-methylbutyrate and ethyl octanoate) and volatile acid concentrations were observed among treatments. Ethyl octanoate, 2-phenylethyl acetate, 3-methylbutyl acetate and hexanoic acid, with OAV (odour activity value) &gt; 1 and mainly fruity and floral odour descriptors, showed higher levels after early defoliation treatments compared with non-defoliated vines. Principal component analysis illustrated the difference in wines from defoliated and non-defoliated treatments based on their volatile composition. Conclusion: It can be concluded that early leaf removal significantly modified the wine aroma compounds, increasing or decreasing several of these compounds. © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

Use of non-invasive RGB imaging to assess the canopy status in organic viticulture

In organic viticulture, canopy features such as leaf area, canopy porosity and fruit exposure are critical due their impact on fungal disease incidence and grape composition. An adequate and accurate assessment of the canopy status is the first step towards appropriate and effective grapevine canopy management, therefore an easy, non-invasive, robust method to evaluate the main features of a grapevine canopy is needed. In this work a protocol for canopy status assessment based on non-invasive RGB imaging is presented and used to ascertain differences in the canopy status of grapevines grown under different degraded and non-degraded soil conditions. RGB images were processed using a classification algorithm based on the Mahalanobis distance, and then the pixels were classified in four classes: clusters, leaves, gaps and shoots. Overall, higher leaf exposure was observed in vines grown in non-degraded soil while the highest percent of gaps or canopy porosity corresponded to vines of the two cover crop treatments