Project in brief
Grapevine cultivation is endangered by climate change. Consequences range from short-term effects i.e. compromise of yield and wine quality to long terms issues, threatening the suitability of varieties, and more in general sustainability of viticulture of traditional wine regions. New solutions for adapting cultivated varieties to future climate should be considered. Recent advances in molecular breeding technologies have opened up new and faster options to produce improved varieties however no clear genetic resource suitable to support breeding for heat stress adaptation in grapevine is yet available.
In this project, a complementary strategy combining genetic and physiological approaches will be exploited, making use of genetically characterised segregating populations and innovative phenotyping methods.
Project objectives
- Genetic mapping of grapevine traits involved in heat stress resilience and thermo-tolerance in the frame of a multi-parental approach
- In-depth physiological and molecular characterization of the heat stress response in grapevine
Impact
The study will provide an unprecedented characterization of heat stress response in grapevine, which is expect to support novel management practices and to implement new breeding strategies for viticulture under rising temperatures.
Funding
MUR – PRIN 2022 SC (durata 2025-2027)
