Point of contact at UniTrento
prof. Maria Stella Grando (coordinator)
prof. Michele Perazzolli
prof.ssa Federica Camin
prof.ssa Sihem Dabbou

Point of contact at FEM
dott.ssa Laura Costantini
dott.ssa Silvia Lorenzi
dott. Mickael Malnoy

We aim to increase understanding of plant genetics, plant reproductive biology and exploit germplasm diversity to enhance crop performance in a sustainable way.

Our focus is mainly on grapevine and olive trees, which are fruit crops of particular importance to the local economy.
The projects within the group range from resilience of grapevine to environmental stress, to berry secondary metabolism, and seed and fruit set. 
Our methods include studies directly on field-grown bi-parental populations, core collections and somatic variants, as well as the evaluation of genotypes under controlled conditions and functional validation of candidate genes. 
This knowledge is then translated for use in plant breeding, better crop management, and certification and traceability of plant materials.  
Research lines: 

  • Multi-omic comparison of somatic variants in grapevine for fruit-set and seed development including the production of seedless fruits;
  • Factors affecting pollination and fruit setting in olive trees (cv. Casaliva) in the Garda Trentino area;
  • Unraveling the genetic determination of secondary metabolites (flavonoids, aroma precursors) in the ripening berry;
  • Dissecting the genetic and physiological mechanisms of grapevine resilience to heat stress
  • Functional validation of candidate genes and SNPs associated with stomatal conductance under drought stress in Vitis rootstocks.