Xiao-Feng Yue

Planting green manure between rows is an excellent green orchard cultivation practice. However, there is a lack of research on the application of such measures in vineyards. In this study, the ‘Beibinghong’ grape was used as experimental material, and clear tillage was used as a control. The effects of intercropping rape and pea between rows for two consecutive years on soil microecology and grape and wine quality were studied. The main results were as follows: intercropping green manure increased the berry pH. Intercropping green manure differentially modulated phenolic profiles in grape berries: pea intercropping significantly increased total phenolic and tannin contents relative to clean tillage across both years, whereas rapeseed intercropping showed variable effects depending on phenolic class and vintage. Green manure treatments also altered the accumulation of aldehydes, alcohols, and terpenoids. The intercropping of green manure could effectively reduce soil temperature and maintain soil moisture in the surface soil layer, reduce soil pH and electrical conductivity, and increase soil microbial biomass, aggregate amount, enzyme activity and soil fertility. Intercropping green manure changed soil microbial diversity and community structure. At the phylum level, the relative abundances of Chloroflexi (bacteria) and Mortierellomycota (fungi) were significantly increased. At the genus level, the genera Plectosphaerella and Alternaria—both dominant saprotrophic fungi—were also significantly enriched. The results of a comprehensive evaluation of principal component and membership function and sensory evaluation showed that intercropping peas was the best strategy. Soil pH, electrical conductivity, nitrate content, LAP activity, and the phyla Acidobacteriota, Chloroflexi, and Mortierellomycota were significantly correlated with the acid content of wine, while soil enzyme activity was significantly correlated with the phenolic content of wine. These results indicated that intercropping green manure could drive the quality of grapefruits and wine by regulating soil nutrients, enzyme activities, basic physical and chemical properties, and microbial communities.

Native to China, spine grapes (Vitis davidii Foex) are an important wild grape species. Here, the quality characteristics of one white and three red spine grape clones were evaluated via targeted metabolomic and transcription level analysis. Xiangzhenzhu (XZZ) had the highest soluble sugar and organic acid content. Malvidin-3-acetyl-glucoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside were the characteristic anthocyanins in spine grapes, and significant differences in anthocyanin composition between different clones were detected. Anthocyanins were not detected in Baiyu (BY) grapes. The transcript levels of VdGST, VdF3′H, VdOMT, VdLDOX, and VdUFGT were significantly related to the anthocyanin biosynthesis and proportions. A total of 27 kinds of glycosidically bound volatiles (including alcohols, monoterpenes, esters, aldehydes, ketones, and phenolic acid) were identified in spine grapes, with Gaoshan #4 (G4) and BY grapes having the highest concentrations. The VdGT expression levels were closely related to glycosidically bound volatile concentrations. These results increase our understanding of the quality of wild spine grapes and further promote the development and use of wild grape resources.

Amino acid contents and their derived volatile compositions in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and wines after regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) were investigated during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons in Yinchuan (NingXia, China). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used for amino acid and volatile compound analyses. Three RDI strategies were tested: 60% (RDI-1), 70% (RDI-2), and 80% (RDI-3) of grapevine estimated evapotranspiration (ETc), and 100% ETc was used as the control group (CK). RDI-treated vines had lower yields and berry weights with higher total soluble solids than the control treatment. RDI-1 increased proline levels in berries and wines. RDI-2 enhanced tyrosine and asparagine levels in wines. RDI-3 enhanced arginine, alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine levels in berries and wines. RDI-2 and RDI-3 increased the concentrations of 2-methyl-1-butyl acetate, benzaldehyde, 3-methyl-1-pentanol, and 3-methyl-1-butanol in wines. The accumulation of volatile compounds was closely related to the amino acid concentrations—especially isoleucine, valine, and leucine—in grapes. Our results showed that RDI treatments altered amino acid concentrations and their derived volatile compositions in wines.