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Project Topic
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Challenge: Mediterranean vineyards are challenged by climate change that jeopardize the high-quality of its grape/wine. Also, diseases like mildews are limiting factors for grapevine production, and may spread in a climate change scenario. Industrial intensive management leads to a decrease of the vineyard ecosystem biodiversity, (over)use of agrochemical, and of irrigating water. Thus, it urges to implement sustainable local strategies to reduce agrochemicals use, increase biodiversity, and the vineyards’ resilience to climate change (eg, prolonged drought) and to diseases (eg, mildews). Objectives: VINEPROTECT main objective is to implement an operational-toolbox of sustainable agroecological practices oriented to local vineyards specificities, to increase vineyards resilience to climate change and diseases, while reducing the use of agrochemicals, and promoting local circular agriculture. Specific objectives (SO) are: SO1-gaining knowledge on the genetic biodiversity of the rhizosphere typical of each terroir/region, and on how native cover crops improve the microbial biodiversity dynamics, water retention and vine nutrition; SO2- establishing local collections of native bacteria (eg Bacillus spp.) and to assess their efficiency as PGP, namely by increasing grapevine resistance to drought stress and improving plant nutrition efficiency; SO3- establishing local collections of native fungi and to assess their potential as BCA to control grapevine fungal diseases; SO4- validating the efficiency of bio-hydrogels to increase vineyard soil water retention; SO5- comparing the efficacy of the proposed bio-approaches in different terroirs in improving local vineyard resilience; SO6- evaluating their socio-economic impact; and SO7- making accessible key results to stakeholders. Achieving these SO, an operational-toolbox will be built considering local specificities. VINEPROTECT will take use of science-tenets and technological tools (eg, genomics and microbiology, grapevine-(eco)physio(patho)logy, biogels, vineyards ecology, agronomy and socio-economy) to address the objectives. VINEPROTECT consortium has 7 complementary partners from Portugal, Italy, Morocco and Turkey. Addressing Objectives: The operational toolbox has 4 interconnected bio-approaches. (i) survey of local N-fixing plants (e.g., clover species) and their capacity to increase orchard and soil functional biodiversity, and to reduce soil water-loss and excessive soil -heating and to work as natural fertilizers; (ii) isolation of local vineyard-associated root rhizosphere microorganisms (namely bacteria) promoting plant growth and resistance to drought, (iii) isolate local vineyard-associated fungi (namely Trichoderma spp.) able to fight vine fungal-pathogens (e.g., mildews); (iv) use bio-hydrogels, produced from agricultural wastes, to increase water-retention of soil. These strategies will be validated in partners’ local vineyards. Socio-economic drivers and VINEPROTECT solution impact on local vineyards and value-chain will be assessed along the project. Relevance to Call: VINEPROTECT is fully aligned with topic 2.2.1, by promoting functional vineyard-biodiversity management in each country/terroir: a) native cover crops will improve the microbial biodiversity dynamics, water retention and vine nutrition; b) local rhizosphere PGPs and BCAs, will reduce the use of agrochemicals. PGPs will help plants coping with drought/ heat stress, thus helping vineyards to cope with climate change challenges. C) the use of bio-hydrogels (based on pruned-waste) will promote circular agronomy/economy, increase soil water-retention and decrease soil erosion. A wide validation of the solutions will be proposed in selected vineyards by monitoring the plants performance and grapes/wine metabolome and quality, and the impact in farmers’ income. The operational toolbox will contribute to overcome climatic change challenges and diseases, and will be available to the Mediterranean region.
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