In warm arid viticultural regions, excessive solar radiation and high temperatures during ripening increasingly compromise berry composition and wine quality. These effects are expected to intensify under climate warming. In hail-prone areas such as Mendoza, Argentina, anti-hail nets are widely adopted for crop protection and may also offer an opportunity for vineyard microclimate modulation. This study evaluated the effects of commercial anti-hail nets on canopy microclimate, yield, and wine composition in a Vitis vinifera L. cv. 'Malbec' vineyard over three consecutive seasons. Three treatments were compared: an uncovered control (CO), a moderate symmetrical shading treatment using standard anti-hail nets providing 17% radiation exclusion on both canopy sides (M1), and an intensified asymmetrical configuration combining 17% shading on the east side with reinforced 50% shading on the west side (M2). Anti-hail nets significantly buffered the canopy microclimate by reducing leaf temperature and the accumulation of hours above 35 degrees C during peak thermal periods. Shading intensity was the main factor associated with observed vine responses. Moderate shading (M1) preserved yield stability while improving the sugar-acid balance and enhancing wine chromatic characteristics during the 2017 season. In contrast, intensified west-side shading (M2) promoted excessive vegetative vigor, increased the pruning weight-to-yield ratio, and reduced wine chromatic expression, indicating that excessive radiation attenuation may limit color-related ripening processes. Overall, moderate differential shading could potentially be an effective multifunctional strategy to mitigate thermal stress while preserving wine typicity in arid viticultural regions. Em regi & otilde;es vitivin & iacute;colas quentes e & aacute;ridas, a radia & ccedil;& atilde;o solar excessiva e as temperaturas elevadas durante a matura & ccedil;& atilde;o t & ecirc;m vindo a comprometer a composi & ccedil;& atilde;o das uvas e a qualidade dos vinhos no contexto das altera & ccedil;& otilde;es clim & aacute;ticas. Em zonas propensas & agrave; ocorr & ecirc;ncia de granizo, como Mendoza, Argentina, as redes antigranizo s & atilde;o amplamente utilizadas para prote & ccedil;& atilde;o da produ & ccedil;& atilde;o e podem igualmente contribuir para a modula & ccedil;& atilde;o do microclima da can & oacute;pia. O presente estudo avaliou os efeitos de redes antigranizo comerciais sobre o microclima da can & oacute;pia, o rendimento e a composi & ccedil;& atilde;o das uvas e dos vinhos numa vinha de Vitis vinifera L. cv. 'Malbec' ao longo de tr & ecirc;s vindimas consecutivas. Foram comparados tr & ecirc;s tratamentos: um controlo sem cobertura (CO), um sombreamento sim & eacute;trico moderado com redes padr & atilde;o proporcionando 17% de exclus & atilde;o da radia & ccedil;& atilde;o em ambos os lados da can & oacute;pia (M1) e uma configura & ccedil;& atilde;o assim & eacute;trica intensificada, combinando 17% de sombreamento no lado leste com 50% no lado oeste (M2). As redes antigranizo atenuaram o microclima da can & oacute;pia, reduzindo a temperatura foliar e a acumula & ccedil;& atilde;o de horas acima de 35 degrees C durante os per & iacute;odos t & eacute;rmicos cr & iacute;ticos. A intensidade do sombreamento foi o principal fator associado & agrave;s respostas da videira. O sombreamento moderado (M1) manteve o rendimento e favoreceu um equil & iacute;brio mais adequado entre a & ccedil;& uacute;cares e acidez, bem como melhores caracter & iacute;sticas crom & aacute;ticas nos vinhos. Em contraste, o sombreamento intensificado no lado oeste (M2) promoveu maior vigor vegetativo, aumentou a raz & atilde;o peso da lenha de poda/rendimento e reduziu a express & atilde;o crom & aacute;tica dos vinhos. De modo geral, o sombreamento diferencial moderado mostrou potencial como estrat & eacute;gia multifuncional para mitigar o stress t & eacute;rmico sem comprometer a tipicidade dos vinhos em regi & otilde;es vitivin & iacute;colas & aacute;ridas.
Environmental contamination and biodiversity loss associated with the use of conventional phytosanitary products in crops has driven the search for sustainable alternatives. Ozone is a powerful disinfectant with proven applications in the agri-food chain. In recent years, water ozonation systems have been developed for agricultural sprayers, yet research on their effectiveness remains limited. This study evaluated the viability of ozonated water (OW) for grapevine disease control and its impact on plant microbiota. Six application strategies were tested in two vineyards of the ‘Albariño’ cultivar, assessing disease severity and microbial communities in leaf and berries. Disease incidence was generally low, except for downy mildew, which was prevalent. Consequently, the efficacy of OW was only assessed against this disease. While conventional treatments effectively controlled downy mildew, OW treatments failed, resulting in significant yield losses. Microbial analysis allowed to identify 400 fungal and 270 bacterial genera. Overall, plants treated with conventional products exhibited lower microbial abundance, highlighting the detrimental impact of chemical products on biodiversity. In conclusion, although OW is beneficial for the microbial communities compared to conventional products, it is not recommended for controlling downy mildew in regions with high disease pressure.
Wine appreciation is subject to trends, dependent on wine sensory properties. The wines characterized by high ethanol content, deep colour, and dominated by oak notes have given way to less alcoholic and leaner styles. Nevertheless, these changes are only supported by anecdotal evidence. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the differences in the most preferred wine styles. The scores of Grand Gold dry red and white wines were obtained from the online data of Mundus Vini challenge. The older period ranged from 2014 to 2016, while the most recent editions ranged from 2020 to 2023. The profile of red wines was synthesized in four sensory spaces, comprising Oakiness, Harshness, Freshness, and Funkiness. Overall, most preferred wines continued to have high ethanol content and high body, and were dominated by Oakiness. The main difference was related to the higher proportion of Funkiness in the wines from the more recent editions. A relatively small number of white wines were awarded Grand Gold in the latest editions. These wines were characterized by the sensory spaces of Freshness, Mellowed, Oakiness, and Funkiness. The main difference was related to the higher proportion of Oakiness in the more recent editions. Overall, the temporal analysis of Grand Gold wines did not show a significant variation in their style, continuing to be characterized by bold wines with high ethanol content, residual sugar and oak wood flavours.
Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) poses a significant phytopathological threat to global viticulture, demanding the development of rapid and accurate detection methodologies to mitigate economic losses. In this study, four deep learning-based object detection architectures were implemented and comparatively evaluated, ROBOFLOW 3.0 (Fast), YOLO-NAS (Accurate and Medium), YOLOv11 (Fast), and the latest YOLOv12 (Fast), for the automated identification of GFLV symptoms on grapevine leaves. A custom dataset comprising high-resolution images captured under diverse vineyard conditions was curated and meticulously annotated. YOLO models were trained on 100-350 epochs. Model performance was assessed using metrics such as Precision, Recall, Mean average precision at Intersection over Union (IoU)=0.5 (mAP@50), Mean average precision across IoU thresholds (mAP@50–95), and F1 score. Among the evaluated models, YOLOv11 Fast achieved the highest mAP@50 value (93.4%) and an F1 score of 88.3%. In comparison, ROBOFLOW 3.0 Fast reached a mAP@50 of 89.4% and an F1 score of 86%, YOLO-NAS Accurate achieved mAP 92.4% and F1 85.2%, and YOLO-NAS Medium obtained 91.9% and 85.3%, respectively. The latest version YOLOv12 Fast yielded mAP@50 91.3% and F1 86.5%. These results highlight the potential of next-generation YOLO architectures for high-throughput, real-time GFLV detection, offering a scalable and efficient solution for precision viticulture and integrated disease management.
Moscatel de Setúbal is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wine produced in Península de Setúbal wine region, being one of the four Portuguese fortified wines recognized as “Generosos”. This wine has unique chemical and sensory characteristics due to the grape variety (‘Moscatel de Setúbal’, Vitis vinifera L.) used in its production, the winemaking process characterised by a long period of maceration of skins and grape berry seeds, and the oxidative ageing. According to the legislation, it must be submitted to a minimum ageing period, traditionally performed in wooden barrels, which plays a crucial role in the increase of its sensory quality. Although highly appreciated and recognized by its quality, scientific knowledge on this wine is still very scarce and limited to the general physicochemical and phenolic composition. This literature review aims to gather the available information about this fortified wine, providing a better understanding on the distinctive profile of Moscatel de Setúbal, and to lay out paths for future. It must be noted that Moscatel de Setúbal Roxo wine made with this grape variety also shares the PDO, but because of its rarity and small produced quantities it is not addressed in this work.
Portuguese and Spanish clones from ‘Aragonez’ grapevine (syn. ‘Tempranillo’), although considered synonyms, exhibit distinct responses when combined with different rootstocks and harvest seasons under the tropical semi-arid climate of the São Francisco Valley, northeastern Brazil. This study evaluated the effects of four rootstocks (‘IAC313’, ‘IAC572’, ‘P1103/Paulsen’, and ‘SO4’) over four consecutive vintages, considering two harvests per year, on the yield and physicochemical composition of red wines. Wine composition was primarily influenced by harvest season, followed by clone origin and rootstock. Second-semester harvests promoted higher alcohol content, pigment levels, phenolic compounds, tanning power, and antioxidant capacity, whereas the 2016_1 harvest, under heavy rainfall, showed lower potential. Among rootstocks, ‘SO4’ was associated with higher flavonoid content, polymeric pigments, copigmentation, and antioxidant capacity, particularly in Spanish clones, although it showed lower yield in some semesters. In contrast, ‘IAC313’ maintained higher productivity, highlighting the importance of rootstock–clone interactions for vine performance in tropical regions. The predominance of polymeric tannins and high tanning power indicated wines with greater ageing potential and sensory complexity. Strong correlations between tannins, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity underlined the important role of phenolics in wine quality and bioactivity. Multivariate analysis showed that classical composition variables discriminated samples better than monomeric anthocyanin profiles. These results emphasize the need for adaptative viticultural and oenological strategies, such as harvest scheduling, informed rootstock selection, and tailored winemaking practices, to improve quality, productivity, and stability of tropical wines.
The study of phenological stage duration and growing degree days (GDD) is crucial for improving grape yield, particularly as Peru aims to expand its role as a major grape exporter. This study investigated the phenology and yield of ‘Moscatel’ grape (Vitis vinifera L.) grown in four locations in the Arequipa region. To the best of our knowledge, there is no scientific documentation on the use of ‘Moscatel’ for wine production in Peru. The results showed that the phenological cycle at El Pedregal was longer (222 days) compared to Corire (186 days), a difference that was proportionally reflected in the observed GDD. Vines in El Pedregal exhibited the highest canopy coverage, which was associated with lower porosity and higher yield compared to those in La Joya. An inverse correlation between yield and canopy development was observed in all studied locations. These findings can support vineyard management practices, such as an accurate estimation of production and harvest timing, resource optimization, and targeted use of agrochemicals, with the goal of enhancing the productivity and quality of ‘Moscatel’ wines.
In the Vinho Verde region, one of the most widely cultivated grapevine varieties is Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Loureiro’, which is produced under a rainfed conditions. However, irrigation is increasing being implemented to mitigate the effects of climate change. In this sense, the present study evaluated three different irrigation management strategies - rainfed (R), deficit irrigation (DI) and irrigation (I) - during four growing seasons, between 2019 and 2022. The main goal was to assess the influence of irrigation strategies on agronomic productivity and must quality. In order to achieve this objective, a set of parameters related to vine yield and must quality was assessed. In addition, the stem water potential (SWP) was measured, and vineyard transpiration and actual evapotranspiration were estimated. The results showed clear seasonality in production, with higher productivity followed by a decline, ranging from 19 766.5 kg/ha in R 2020 to 4 726.1 kg/h in I 2021.The study demonstrated that irrigation has a favourable long-term effect on yield. This phenomenon can be ascribed to the observation that, although only numerical disparities between treatments were detected in the initial years, significant variations (p<0.05) were identified in 2022, between irrigation treatments. Furthermore, the DI strategy exhibited optimal water productivity, indicating high water use efficiency across the entire studied period. These findings suggest that maintenance irrigation, even in cases where it is found to be deficient, can result in enhanced water productivity in the short term, and higher productivity rates in the long-term.
The study aimed to preliminarily evaluate the nutritional values of the grapes from three table grape varieties (Vitis vinifera L.) including green grape, ‘Cardinal’ grape, and ‘Mariaue Finger’ grape from Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam. The analyses were conducted as per standard test methods. There were generally significant differences in energy-yielding nutrients among the three studied samples. These grapes presented moderate concentrations of carbohydrates and proteins ranging from 10.08 ± 0.48 to 12.07 ± 0.28 mg/100 g and from 0.37 ± 0.05 to 0.42 ± 0.04 mg/100 g, respectively, but no lipids content. The analysis revealed the presence of vitamin C and five minerals including Na, K, Mg, Fe, and Ca. The contents of Na, K, and Fe in green grapes were significantly higher than those of the two others. The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, steroids, and saponins, but not alkaloids, tannins, and terpenoids. The phenolic content in the three grape varieties was quantified at a moderate level, but low flavonoid content was found. The same pattern was also observed in the antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50), positively correlating to phenolic and flavonoid compounds contents. These findings scientifically contribute to the food database system, particularly those related to the new variety- the ‘Mariaue Finger’ grape -, which can be exploited for diet planning.
Traditional viticulture is becoming increasingly insufficient to deal with the pressure from climate changes and market competitiveness. Due to these challenges, efficient modelling is needed to increase the efficiency and modernization of the sector. This work presents a review of the most relevant research on grapevine crop modelling, including an assessment of statistical and dynamic modelling, as well as machine learning techniques and applications. A brief overview of the viticultural sector (national and international) is given, highlighting the declining vineyard areas and economic fragmentation, particularly in Portugal. Drawing from agricultural systems science, recent studies on climate change effects on European viticulture, and advancements in dynamic and machine learning models, the research aims to address the complexities of vineyard management and climate change. The importance of crop models in viticulture is evidenced, and opportunities for future improvements are presented, such as enhanced phenological modelling and precision viticulture techniques. Challenges, including data quality issues and the need for region-specific models, are also identified. The resulting impact of overcoming these challenges can have a very significant influence on the long-term efficiency, productivity, resilience and sustainability of the Portuguese wine industry. The review concludes that the future of viticulture will rely on integrating advanced modelling techniques with traditional practices, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and real-time data processing to ensure adaptability in an uncertain climate.
The purpose of the present study was (a) to assess the consumer understanding of aging among different wine types and (b) to check if consumers, using a descriptive questionnaire, recognize the “mellowed dry white wine” conceptual space. A total of 680 worldwide participants, grouped according to their involvement in the wine business, replied to an online questionnaire aiming to understand the white wine aging features and to characterize its sensory descriptors. These descriptors were selected using a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) approach, concerning wine color, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and global appreciation. Most consumers (62.8 %) preferred old red to old white wines. Regarding age perception, 50.3 % of the consumers considered old a white wine with 6 to 10 years, while 48.1 % regarded a red wine as old with 11 to 20 years. Nevertheless, 12.2 % believed that a white wine ages better than a red wine. The involvement level did not significantly influence the sensory descriptions of aged dry white wines for the most frequently cited descriptors. Therefore, the generated tasting script was broadly characterized by (a) ‘deep yellow’ to ‘deep gold’ color, (b) aromas of ‘dried fruit’, ‘honey’, ‘caramel’ and ‘oak’, (c) ‘acid taste’, and (d) mouthfeel dominated by ‘body’, ‘length’, ‘viscosity’, ‘smoothness’ and ‘dryness’. Furthermore, global appreciation includes terms such as ‘complex’, ‘persistent’, ‘rich’, ‘concentrated in flavors’, and ‘evolved’. This overall sensory space is consistent with the metaphorical concept of “mellowed by age” wines that seem to be understood by consumers with high and low involvement levels.
Participation in proficiency testing (PT) programs, as outlined in ISO/IEC 17025, is a vital tool for ensuring the validity of laboratory results. Although it requires an initial investment, the benefits—such as reduced errors, improved efficiency, and the prevention of costly problems—make it a cost-effective approach. This participation enhances accuracy, saves costs, and increases laboratory productivity. The SENSORIAL-ALABE test is designed to enhance tasters’ sensory abilities, offering sensory panels or individual assessors the unique opportunity to track their performance over time confidentially. For this purpose, the triangle test is used, in which three samples are presented to the evaluator in different orders, two of which are identical. The evaluator’s task is to identify the different sample, a process crucial in testing the sensory acuity of the assessor and the group. This method is essential for quantitatively evaluating the response to progressively increasing olfactory stimuli related to defects or aromas in wines and/or wine spirits. The assessor performs the test in four increasing concentrations, identifying the different samples and the compound used based on a table of compounds and sensory descriptors previously established. The results reflect the overall performance of the assessor in the four triangle tests at progressively increasing concentrations, using binomial distribution to assess statistical significance. This study examined the effects of adding a compound to one or two samples to examine whether it influenced participants’ accuracy in identifying the correct samples. Results suggest that adding the compound to two samples generally makes it more challenging for participants to accurately identify the odd sample, leading to more incorrect answers. The proficiency tests show a continuous improvement in the tasters’ performance, especially when they face the same challenge a second time. These tests are essential for constantly improving laboratories performance, enhancing assessors’ sensitivity through training, and providing relevant information for their qualification.
This work presents an innovative approach to expedite the identification process of green leafhoppers by combining a deep-learning algorithm with an automatic camera system that captured high-resolution images from yellow sticky traps. Identifying and monitoring agricultural insects are crucial for implementing effective pest management strategies. Conventional insect identification and counting methods can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, urging the need for efficient and accurate automated solutions. The deep learning algorithm based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) learn discriminators from a diverse set of green leafhopper images. The model’s architecture was optimized to handle variations in lighting conditions, angles, and orientations commonly found in field settings. To assess the algorithm’s efficacy, the test images were also evaluated by human curation and results accounted for in terms of false positives and false negatives. The results demonstrated the algorithm’s capability to accurately identify green leafhopper species, improving the speed of identification compared to conventional methods while maintaining a high level of precision (80%), and a harmonic mean of the precision and recall (F1) of 0.85. The combination of a deep learning algorithm and real-time data acquisition allows a fast decision-making by technicians and researchers, supporting the implementation of pest management strategies, and demonstrates the promising potential for specific and sustainable pest monitoring, contributing to the progress of precision farming practices.
Theoretical representation of wine is important for producers, with implications in a technical context. Understanding the correlation between wine characteristics and terroir involves emphasizing typicality and linking it to sensory interpretation. Within this research, the adaptable nature of the indigenous red grape variety ‘Agiorgtiko’, well-known for its role in producing PDO wines, was examined both chemically and sensorially. Wine PDOs are based on their place of origin and technical product specifications. A total of ten vineyards located in a dry region were carefully chosen to vinify their grapes at three distinct elevation tiers (low 300-600 m, medium 600-900 m, and high 900-1250 m) over two consecutive vintages (2019-2020). Classical oenological analyses were performed based on the International Organisation of Vine and Wine analytical methods. Phenolic content and color parameters were investigated by spectrophotometric methods and volatile compounds of the wine aroma, such as the esters, higher alcohols and acids, were analyzed by GC/MS. Descriptive sensory analysis was carried out by a trained panel for all produced wines. The findings revealed variations in volatile compounds among wines, that were primarily influenced by grape provenance, which in turn shaped unique compositional and sensory characteristics. Multivariate analysis of the analytes determined proved that vineyards located at the sub-zone with higher altitudes were clearly separated from the other two zones. Notably, the presence of some volatile compounds in wines was indeed impacted by grape origin. In essence, this research illustrated how the sensory attributes of ‘Agiorgitiko’ wines could be changed by diverse terroir elements within the designated Nemea wine region.
In regions influenced by the Mediterranean climate, the distribution of rainfall is uneven throughout the year, with rainfall concentrated in winter and hot, dry summers, which is being boosted by climate change towards a worsening of this situation. Due to the high socioeconomic relevance of viticulture in these regions, monitoring the vine water status is extremely important. Although vineyards are typically a rainfed crop, water stress can result in quantitative and qualitative production losses, and irreversible damage to plants. The complexity of grapevine’s physiological response to water availability can be measured through indicators, which quantify the degree of stress the plants are under, and thus decisions can be made on this basis. Therefore, this work describes the main water stress indicators used in viticulture, as well as the particularities of each one and the relationship between them, contributing to a better understanding.
In this work, copigmentation assay described by Boulton and the “chemical age” indices proposed by Somers and Evans in wine were critically reviewed and updated. In particular, the influence of polymeric pigments and pyranoanthocyanins on color is reassessed. The current analytical understanding of these pigments should be taken into account when applying both methods, as some implicit considerations about SO2 bleaching are presumably affected by their chemical structure. The differences between Anthocyanin-Tannin (AT) and Tannin-Anthocyanin (TA) polymeric pigments are carefully described, as well as the importance of pyranoanthocyanin contribution to the color. As a result, and considering current scientific knowledge, the true meanings of terms such as polymeric pigments and free anthocyanins in both analytical methods have been reviewed. Some possible research lines to improve these reliable and fast methods have been proposed.
The adoption of a sustainable approach has been recognized as a competitive and resilience factor for the vine and wine sector. This research aimed to address the variables that explain the sustainability of the viticultural systems practiced in the Douro Demarcated Region, in a dimensional and global perspective of sustainability. In total 110 vineyard farms were randomly selected and a matrix of sustainability indicators grouped by economic, environmental and social dimension was used. In order to analyse the main determinants of the different dimensions of sustainability, an econometric analysis was carried out considering different typologies or groups of determinants: efficiency; training system; vineyard landscaping; geographical determinants; destination of the grapes; type of work used; other determinants. Based on the estimations of eight models, an important divergence in the results was found, especially between the estimates of the models developed through the global sustainability index than the estimates of the indices disaggregated by dimension. This disparity in results indicates that the analysis of the determinants of sustainability should be carried out in a disaggregated manner (at the level of sustainability dimensions). Divergent results were also deduced depending on the dimension of sustainability. For instance, the model with the highest explanatory power concerned the economic dimension, while the efficiency determinant was not significant in the social and environmental dimensions. In light of these findings, policy measures are proposed.
A field trial with artificial infection was designed and performed to verify the potential effect of the application, as a pruning wound protectant for grapevine trunk diseases immediately after pruning, of a commercial product containing the biological control agent Trichoderma atroviride (I-1237), on later symptom expression of Phomopsis cane and leaf spot (PCLS) caused by Diaporthe spp.. The trial comprised four modalities: “Witness”, that remained in natural conditions without artificial infection and was sprayed with distilled water during the treatments; “Infected Witness”, with artificial infection and was sprayed with distilled water during the treatments.; “Reference Product”, with artificial infection and reference fungicide application at bud burst (BBCH 09), and “Test Product” in which the T. atroviride commercial formulation was applied as per the label, during dormancy (BBCH 00) immediately after pruning, and subject to artificial infection. The trial consisted of six replicates per modality with three plants per replicate. Incidence and severity of PCLS were assessed on the first four internodes in all the canes of all trial plants during development stages “fruit set” to “berries groat sized” (BBCH 71 to 73). The effectiveness of the artificial inoculation stands out; all the modalities showed lower incidence and severity than those of the “infected witness”, and the reduction in incidence, compared to the “infected witness”, was statistically significant for all modalities. Due to its short duration, the test did not allow the initial premise to be validated, but it validated the methodology used and its reproducibility. The suggestion that the pruning application of the T. atroviride formulation influences the subsequent manifestation of PCLS will need further testing in the following years to gauge these preliminary results.
Symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has long been recognized for its positive impact on plant health. Today, various companies market AMF-based commercial inoculants as biofertilizers or biostimulants for sustainable agriculture. However, their consistent efficacy in real-world field settings remains uncertain. This study investigated the influence of a commercial AMF inoculant on a newly planted vineyard featuring a local grape cultivar grafted onto a common rootstock (‘Ritcher 110’). Over two years, the physiological well-being, growth, and productivity of 20 inoculated vines compared to 20 control counterparts were monitored. The impact of inoculation on soil bacterial diversity and the infectivity of soil was assessed. Notably, AMF-inoculated plants exhibited consistently lower values in photosynthesis, growth, and grape production, although statistical significance was not always reached. Additionally, the total production remained unaffected, but there was a significant decrease in °Brix and pH values, suggesting delayed grape ripening in mycorrhizal plants, potentially promoting secondary metabolites accumulation. Regarding soil effects, the inoculation's impact was slight, with no substantial changes in soil mycorrhizal infectivity and only slight shifts in the microbial community's metabolic profile. Numerous studies highlight the context-dependent nature of AMF inoculation's effects, making it challenging to predict outcomes in field conditions. Failures found in trials like the present one provides valuable scientific information, contributing to determine the prerequisites for effective biofertilizer use in commercial viticulture. Ultimately, the effectiveness of AMF-based biofertilizers remains contingent on specific conditions, exposing the need for additional research to ensure their consistent and reliable application.
The wine industry is characterized by a monopolistic competition market structure, with high product differentiation. In this study, based on the predictions of microeconomic theory as applied to market equilibrium and market failure, the statistical data on production, trade and domestic consumption, as well as the governance model adopted, were analyzed. The main goal was to examine potential market failures in the Portuguese wine industry, concentrating mainly on those related to information asymmetry and transaction costs. The analysis shows that while Portugal constitutes a significant source of low-priced wines, both for its home consumers as well as for those abroad, most wines lack reputation and therefore have little potential to transfer value to upstream economic agents, and almost no possibility of increasing consumers’ willingness to pay. Though there is detailed information on production, exports and trade, limited information exists on domestic consumption. Given the small dimension of some wine regions, the governance model adopted does not benefit from scale economies and requires higher transaction costs.
