Interactions between Saccharomyces and Oenococcus oeni strains from Amarone wine affect malolactic fermentation and wine composition

Research Note

Biodiversity of grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) grown in the Province of Verona

PCR-based DNA microsatellite analysis has been applied to define the genetic relationships among 7 most representative grapevine cultivars grown in the province of Verona, 5 ancient grapevine and two varieties grown in different regions of Italy. For each variety three different clones or accessions were investigated to assess genotypical uniformity; in 5 cases we found out intravarietal dissimilarity. SSR data were used to create a distance matrix and then a polylogenetic tree. Results show a polygenetic relationship among some cultivated (Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, Trebbiano di Soave-Verdicchio) and ancient (Dindarella-Pelara, Oseleta, Rossetta di montagna) varieties all grown in the Valpolicella hills, suggesting the possibility that their evolution occurred in the same area and with few common anchestors. Two situations of synonyms that had already described between Trebbiano di Soave and Verdicchio, and between Dindarella and Pelara, were confirmed by a molecular method as SSR analysis. Amplification of Trebbiano di Soave/Verdicchio locus VVMD36 yielded a fragment of 500 bp, this allele provides a fast and reliable tool to differentiate among Trebbiano grapevines.

Field efficacy of two organic acids against Varroa destructor

The parasitization of honeybees by Varroa destructor represents a serious limiting factor for beekeeping. The past and current widespread use of synthetic acaricides, such as fluvalinate and coumaphos, results in the onset of pest resistance, therefore research efforts focused on the use of alternative solutions to control the population of this parasitic mite. In the present study, the efficacy of two formulates containing Oxalic Acid (OA) or Formic Acid (FA) was evaluated in real field conditions. Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of the OA formulate in controlling more than 90% of V. destructor phoretic population. On the other hand, FA shown an efficacy of 60% on phoretic mites. A similar pattern was highlighted on brood and adult bees’ infestation. The OA formulate showed a proper efficacy, highlighting its potential as alternative to chemical substances in holding the increase of V. destructor during a late summer treatment

A novel GIS-based approach to assess beekeeping suitability of Mediterranean lands

Honeybees are critically important for the environment and to the economy. However, there are in substantial decline worldwide, leading to serious threat to the stability and yield of food crops. Beekeeping is of pivotal importance, combining the wide economical aspect of honey production and the important ecological services provided by honeybees. In this scenario, the prompt identification of beekeeping areas is strategic, since it maximised productivity and lowered the risks of colony losses. Fuzzy logic is an ideal approach for problem-solving tasks, as it is specifically designed to manage problems with a high degree of uncertainty. This research tested a novel GIS-based approach to assess beekeeping suitability of lands located in Calabria (Southern Italy), without relying to Analytic Hierarchy Process – Multiple Criteria Decision Making (AHP-MCDM), thus avoiding the constraints due to the technique and decision makers’ influences. Furthermore, the data used here were completely retrieved from open access sources, highlighting that our approach is characterized by low costs and can be easily reproduced for a wide arrays of geographical contexts. Notably, the results obtained by our experiments were validated by the actual beekeeping reality. Besides beekeeping, the use of this system could not only be applied in beekeeping land suitability evaluations, but may be successfully extended to other types of land suitability evaluations