Protocol for soil functionality assessment in vineyards

Protocols used by Resolve partners during the project, to assess soil functionality on degraded aeras and evaluate soil restoration after applying recovering practices

Protocols for soil functionality assessment in vineyards

The purpose of this guideline is to describe the methods used during ReSolVe project for soil functionality assessment, so they can be implemented in similar studies. A brief introduction first underlines what are the main functions of soil and why maintaining an optimal soil functionality is particularly of major interest in viticulture. Then the different protocols selected for ReSolVe project and this guideline are presented according to the following classification: - Part I: assessment of soil physical and chemical features; - Part II: assessment of soil biological features (ecosystem service provision and providers); - Part III: assessment of rhizosphere biological features; - Part IV: assessment of grapevine quantitative and qualitative indicators reflecting soil functionality. In each part, global objectives of the monitoring are explained (what is it used for, in which cases…) and the parameters to evaluate are listed with their corresponding methodological sheet. In these sheets, instructions and information are given about: - Materials needed to perform the sampling and the measurement - Sampling procedure - Analysis procedure - Possible interpretations and conclusions that can be drawn (value and meaning of the results, indication of reference values when existing, potential limit of the protocol) - Bibliographic references related to the method described - Additional helpful information where appropriate (ex: template of sampling sheet

Protocol for soil functionality assessment in vineyards

Protocols used by Resolve partners during the project, to assess soil functionality on degraded aeras and evaluate soil restoration after applying recovering practices

Restoring soil functionality in degraded areas within vineyards by organic treatments: the experimental layout of the RESOLVE Core-organic+ project

Degraded areas are frequent in vineyards, even if managed by organic farming, mainly caused by soil truncation, soil erosion, or salts enrichment. Recovering strategies implemented in 19 degraded vineyards in 5 countries within the RESOLVE project concerned: (i) composted organic amendments, or seeding of cover crops (including legumes) for (ii) green manure or (iii) dry mulch. The relationships between vineyard management and pedo-climatic conditions are useful to better understand other contributions dealing with RESOLVE project reported in the present special issue. The results suggested that the nature of degradation requires optimum seedbed preparation to grow green manure crops. Whereas dry mulching plants needs less tillage operations (neither incorporation nor sowing, if self-reseeding plants), helping the recovery of soil functionality. The potential soil erosion by water was esteemed for the 38 plots, confirming that is a common agent of land degradation in vineyards

Extracción de características de la cubierta vegetal del viñedo mediante imágenes RGB y RGIR obtenidas de forma dinámica

Diversas investigaciones han intentado resolver el problema de identificación de frutos u hojas mediante imágenes digitales, pero sólo lo han logrado parcialmente. Por esto, el objetivo de este trabajo es explorar una metodología de identificación que permita estimar áreas de hojas y racimos en viñedos, empleando imágenes en el espectro visible (RGB) y en el infrarrojo cercano (RGIR). El problema de la identificación fue abordando por dos vías, forma y color. En el caso de la identificación por forma se empleó la transformada circular de Hough y en el de la identificación por color se emplearon las técnicas de clasificación no supervisada denominadas kmeans y Fuzzy c-means. Se determinó que la clasificación mediante k-means sobre el espacio L*a*b*, para imágenes RGB y sobre el índice SAVI en las imágenes RGIR, son las técnicas más adecuadas. En cuanto a la identificación por forma, ésta resultó aplicable sólo en condiciones muy particulare

Impact of Leaf Removal, Applied Before and After Flowering, on Anthocyanin, Tannin, and Methoxypyrazine Concentrations in ‘Merlot’ (Vitis viniferaL.) Grapes and Wines

7siThe development and accumulation of secondary metabolites in grapes determine wine color, taste, and aroma. This study aimed to investigate the effect of leaf removal before flowering, a practice recently introduced to reduce cluster compactness and Botrytis rot, on anthocyanin, tannin, and methoxypyrazine concentrations in Merlot' grapes and wines. Leaf removal before flowering was compared with leaf removal after flowering and an untreated control. No effects on tannin and anthocyanin concentrations in grapes were observed. Both treatments reduced levels of 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) in the grapes and the derived wines, although the after-flowering treatment did so to a greater degree in the fruit specifically. Leaf removal before flowering can be used to reduce cluster compactness, Botrytis rot, and grape and wine IBMP concentration and to improve wine color intensity but at the expense of cluster weight and vine yield. Leaf removal after flowering accomplishes essentially the same results without loss of yield. © 2016 American Chemical Society.reservedmixedSivilotti, Paolo; Herrera, Jose Carlos; Lisjak, Klemen; Baša Česnik, Helena; Sabbatini, Paolo; Peterlunger, Enrico; Castellarin, Simone DiegoSivilotti, Paolo; Herrera, Jose Carlos; Lisjak, Klemen; Baša Česnik, Helena; Sabbatini, Paolo; Peterlunger, Enrico; Castellarin, Simone Dieg

Effects of reduced soil functionality in European vineyards

Improper or excessive land preparation methods in vineyards before planting can have a considerable impact on soil functionality. They include excessive levelling and deep ploughing leading to disturbances of the natural contour of slopes and destruction, truncation and burial of soil horizons. Manipulations may significantly modify chemical, physical, biological and hydrological balance of soils. Problems that may arise from these interventions relate to the reduction of organic substances, enrichment of calcium carbonate and soluble salts, impacting development and health of grapevines. Reduced water retention capacity can lead to increased water stress during dry season, decreased water permeability and circulation of oxygen in the soil, increased runoff volume, surface erosion and landslide risk, reduced biodiversity and limitation of biochemical processes (organic matter mineralization, bioavailability of nutrients, etc.). Soil degradations can lead to the loss of soil functionality even after the planting as a result of accelerated erosion, compaction by agricultural vehicles, excessive loss of organic matter and nutrients, and the accumulation of heavy metals such as copper. In both conventional and organic vineyards, it is quite common to have areas with reduced soil functionality that have negative impact on vine health and grape production and quality. In the framework of the Core organic RESOLVE project, a study was conducted in organic vineyards showing areas with reduced and good soil functionality. Degraded soils resulted in significantly lower amounts of grapes. The chlorophyll index (SPAD) of the grapevine during veraison was significantly lower in areas of degraded soils compared with the situation in areas of the same vineyard with non-degraded soils. In general, causes of soil malfunctioning were related to a lower fertility, including reduced organic carbon, total nitrogen and cation exchange capacity, higher concentrations of carbonates, and increased stoniness in the topsoil. Degraded soils showed lower structure quality and rooting depth limited by shallow saprolite or horizon features such as compaction, scarce fertility and high content of carbonates. The soils in the non-degraded areas showed significant higher content of total nitrogen and higher carbon/nitrogen ratios, thus a better stability of organic matter. On the other hand, biological diversity and activity, monitored by different proxies (microarthropods, nematodes, enzymes, organic matter turnover by Tea bag index) in some vineyards, all managed organically, did not show any clear and significant differences between degraded and not degraded areas. Similarly, no clear difference in overall microbial diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson) and diversity evenness (Pielou) were observed between non-degraded and degraded areas. All indices were relatively high and indicative for rich occurrence of abundant and rare microbial species, high diversity and low abundance of individual species and high species evenness

The Polygenic and Monogenic Basis of Blood Traits and Diseases

Blood cells play essential roles in human health, underpinning physiological processes such as immunity, oxygen transport, and clotting, which when perturbed cause a significant global health burden. Here we integrate data from UK Biobank and a large-scale international collaborative effort, including data for 563,085 European ancestry participants, and discover 5,106 new genetic variants independently associated with 29 blood cell phenotypes covering a range of variation impacting hematopoiesis. We holistically characterize the genetic architecture of hematopoiesis, assess the relevance of the omnigenic model to blood cell phenotypes, delineate relevant hematopoietic cell states influenced by regulatory genetic variants and gene networks, identify novel splice-altering variants mediating the associations, and assess the polygenic prediction potential for blood traits and clinical disorders at the interface of complex and Mendelian genetics. These results show the power of large-scale blood cell trait GWAS to interrogate clinically meaningful variants across a wide allelic spectrum of human variation. Analysis of blood cell traits in the UK Biobank and other cohorts illuminates the full genetic architecture of hematopoietic phenotypes, with evidence supporting the omnigenic model for complex traits and linking polygenic burden with monogenic blood diseases

The Polygenic and Monogenic Basis of Blood Traits and Diseases

Blood cells play essential roles in human health, underpinning physiological processes such as immunity, oxygen transport, and clotting, which when perturbed cause a significant global health burden. Here we integrate data from UK Biobank and a large-scale international collaborative effort, including data for 563,085 European ancestry participants, and discover 5,106 new genetic variants independently associated with 29 blood cell phenotypes covering a range of variation impacting hematopoiesis. We holistically characterize the genetic architecture of hematopoiesis, assess the relevance of the omnigenic model to blood cell phenotypes, delineate relevant hematopoietic cell states influenced by regulatory genetic variants and gene networks, identify novel splice-altering variants mediating the associations, and assess the polygenic prediction potential for blood traits and clinical disorders at the interface of complex and Mendelian genetics. These results show the power of large-scale blood cell trait GWAS to interrogate clinically meaningful variants across a wide allelic spectrum of human variation.</p