Potential opportunities of thinned clusters in viticulture: a mini review

Environmental, energy, and economic (3E) assessment of viticulture systems

Given the current trends, it seems obvious that temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will rise over the coming years. To deal with climate change, a gradual transition to more sustainable viticulture operations is required. It seems necessary to carry out accurate local studies for future projections. The purpose of the current study was to choose the best grape production system in Jowzan Valley, Malayer, Iran. This region was registered by FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2018. This study seeks to answer the question: if climate change has occurred in the Malayer region, which of the traditional and trellis systems is more sustainable from economic, energy, and environmental aspects? The sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) was used to project the climate parameters of Malayer in the past and the future. The output of climate models based on rainfall, temperature, and wind (as factors influencing grape yield) in the observation period of 1992-2021 (the base period) and forecasting the future period of 2021-2100 under three scenarios (SSP1-26, SSP2-45, and SSP5-85) were obtained. The determination of hotspots in terms of cost, energy, and environment for two production systems was done with the approaches of material and energy flow cost accounting (MFCA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). The results of these two approaches help us know which of the two systems are currently more sustainable in terms of economic, energy, and environmental aspects. Grape production in 1 hectare was chosen as a functional unit (FU). The system boundary included the foreground processes that the farmer was directly involved in managing. Grape data were collected in the crop year of 2021-2022 from the vineyards of Jowzan region. According to results, under SSP1-26, SSP2-45, and SSP5-85 scenarios, the annual mean temperature is expected to rise at rates of 0.27, 0.477, and 0.82 °C 10a-1 in the future (2021-2100), respectively. From an economic point of view, labor was recognized as the main input. By changing the system from traditional to trellis, production costs can be expected to be halved. The main hotspot in terms of negative products was the loss of grapes during production or harvesting. Such conditions were also true in terms of energy. From the environmental aspect, on-farm emissions and electricity were identified as hotspots. These effects are greatly reduced in the trellis system compared to the traditional system. In the case of changing the system from traditional to trellis, these effects can be reduced to a reasonable extent by improving the efficiency of irrigation and fertilizer distribution through the irrigation system. According to the results obtained from the climate scenarios as well as the results of the economic, environmental, and energy evaluation of the two production systems, it can be concluded that the use of the trellis system can be more sustainable than the traditional system.

Influences of Cluster Thinning on Fatty Acids and Green Leaf Volatiles in the Production of Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes and Wines in the Northwest of China

Cluster thinning has been widely applied in yield management and its effect on green leaf volatiles (GLVs) in wines has seldom been studied. GLVs are important flavor compositions for grapes and wines. This work aimed to investigate the impact of cluster thinning on these volatiles and their precursors in grapes and wines. Severe cluster thinning (CT1) and medium cluster thinning (CT2) were performed on Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines in two sites (G-farm and Y-farm) from Xinjiang province in the Northwest of China. The impact of cluster thinning treatments on the accumulation of GLVs and their precursors, long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) of grape berries and C6 volatiles, in resulting wines was investigated. Multivariate analysis showed that cluster thinning treatments induced significant changes in fruit and wine composition in both farms. In Y-farm, medium cluster thinning (CT2) significantly increased the average cluster weight of harvested berries. Additionally, both cluster thinning treatments (CT1 and CT2) increased fatty acids in harvested berries and CT2 led to an increase in C6 esters and a decrease in C6 alcohols in the wines of Y-farm under the warmer and drier 2012 vintage. However, the effect of cluster thinning was likely negative in G-farm due to its wetter soil and excessive organic matter. The treatments may be applicable for local grape growers to improve viticultural practices for the more balanced vegetative and reproductive growth of Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines. This work also provided further knowledge on the regulation of fatty acids and the derived C6 volatiles through the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway.

Methodological approaches to digitalization of biotechnological processes in industrial viticulture

Factors affecting the stability and efficiency of reproduction processes in industrial viticulture have been identified. Destructive changes in the elements of grape agrocenosis in the conditions of changing climatic factors and chemical-technogenic intensification of production are determined. A generalizing characteristic of the biologization of intensification processes in industrial viticulture is given. It is established that the strategic appearance of promising technologies in viticulture is determined by modern methods of process biologization and their management based on digital technologies. The functional content of digitalization of management of biotechnological processes in grape agrocenoses is identified. An algorithm for the formation of digital technologies for managing biotechnological processes is proposed, including: the formation of multifunctional databases and data banks on technology elements, the formation of digital applications, the formation of an empirical database and geocoded collection of information on technological operations, cognitive modeling of system relationships and the formation of cognitive maps that determine the influence of external and internal environmental factors on functional areas of influence, the development of a system program prototype architectures, approbation and verification of the adequacy of digital technologies. An assessment of the effectiveness of the use of digital technologies in the management of biotechnological processes in viticulture is given.

Comprehensive Utilization of Thinned Unripe Fruits from Horticultural Crops

Fruit thinning is a cultivation technique that is widely applied in horticulture in order to obtain high-quality horticultural crops. This practice results in the discarding of a large number of thinned unripe fruits in orchards each year, which produces a great waste of agricultural resources and causes soil pollution that may be an important reservoir for pest and plant diseases. Current studies showed that bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, organic acids, monosaccharides and starches are present in unripe fruits. Therefore, we reviewed the bioactive components obtained from thinned unripe fruits, their revalorization for the food industry, their beneficial effects for human health and the methods for obtaining these components. We also performed a calculation of the costs and benefits of obtaining these bioactive compounds, and we proposed future research directions. This review provides a reference for the effective utilization and industrial development of thinned unripe fruits obtained from horticultural crops. Furthermore, revalorizing the waste from this cultural practice may increase the economic benefits and relieve the environmental stress.

Metabolomic profile combined with transcriptomic analysis reveals the value of UV-C in improving the utilization of waste grape berries

Table grape is a popular fruit worldwide. The quality of the appearance of table grapes directly affects their commercial value. Table grape bunches are usually carefully managed during production. At different developmental stages, a large number of grape berries are pruned as waste for commercial appearance, which leads to wasted resources. Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) can regulate the accumulation of secondary metabolites in fruits. In this study, metabolomic profile was combined with transcriptomic analysis technology to explore the value of UV-C in improving the utilization of waste grapes. The berries of the 'Jumeigui' grape were subjected to UV-C radiation treatment in the green-berry stage, veraison stage, and maturation stage. The results showed that UV-C could brown grape berries and decrease their sugar content at different developmental stages. Compared with other samples, those treated with UV-C in the veraison stage had the most upregulated metabolites, while samples in the green-berry stage had the most down-regulated metabolites. UV-C promoted the accumulation of stilbenes and some flavonoids in the berries at each developmental stage (especially at the green-berry and veraison stages). Compared with other stages, UV-C treatment during the veraison stage led to the highest number of upregulated genes related to transcription factors, protein modification, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin acid (GA), receptor kinases, and Ascorbic acid/Glutathione (Ascorb/Gluath). UV-C might promote the accumulation of phenolic components by upregulating the expression of their biosynthesis related genes. UV-C may be an effective in vitro approach for improving the application value of waste grape berries by enhancing the accumulation of the nutritious phenolic components.