High-resolution climate data are essential for understanding local climate impacts, assessing vulnerability, managing resources, and developing adaptation strategies in regions sensitive to climate change. This is the case for the Balearic Islands, located in the Western Mediterranean, which are characterized by rich biodiversity, pronounced exposure to global warming, and strong socio-economic dependence on climate-sensitive sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and water resources. We present Balear1km, a new climate dataset of dynamically downscaled climate simulations over the Balearic Islands at 1 km spatial resolution and hourly time steps for the period 2009-2023. It includes two simulations produced with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model: a historical simulation driven by ERA5 reanalysis data, and a future simulation using the Pseudo-Global Warming approach, which applies a climate change signal from 30 global climate models (CMIP6, high-emission scenario SSP5-8.5) to current conditions. This dataset provides physically consistent climate information across land and sea, enabling exploration of how recent weather events may respond under future warming conditions. It can support research and applications in hydrology, ecology, agriculture, public health, and resource management.

Severe water stress can lead to hydraulic disfunction, reducing plant conductance or even causing death. Some plants exhibit hydraulic vulnerability segmentation between organs to reduce this risk. However, its role in influencing drought tolerance and resistance in grafted plants, such as grapevine, remains unclear. This study evaluates the physiological responses, drought tolerance, hydraulic vulnerability segmentation, and xylem anatomy of 2-year-old Vitis vinifera cv. Tempranillo scion grafted onto two rootstocks: 110-Richter (110R) and Sélection Oppenheim 4 (SO4). After subjecting the plants to drought conditions until the onset of embolism in the leaf (water potential corresponding to 12% loss of xylem hydraulic conductivity, P12), we analysed the physiological consequences during recovery. Grapevine exhibits hydraulic vulnerability segmentation not only within scion organs but also between the scion and rootstock. Although no differences in scion drought tolerance and embolism resistance were observed between combinations, Tempranillo-110R exhibited higher leaf minimum conductance, leaf P12 values, and root biomass. In contrast, Tempranillo-SO4 displayed larger vessel diameter and higher hydraulic conductance. These differences may explain the slower recovery of Tempranillo-110R compared with Tempranillo-SO4, which showed higher stomatal and root-to-stem hydraulic conductance. These findings indicate that in selecting rootstock, consideration should be given to drought resilience alongside vigour and productivity, especially given the increasing occurrence of severe drought periods due to climate change.

The intensification of drought conditions due to climate change poses a major challenge to sustainable grape production. Rootstocks are essential in supporting grapevine water uptake and drought resilience; however, their physiological responses to water stress are not fully understood. Under the hypothesis that root morphology and anatomy may be key traits in grapevine tolerance to water deficit, this study aimed to investigate these traits across diverse rootstocks under progressive water deficit and recovery phases. Thirteen genotypes, including commercial rootstocks and recently bred RG-series and RM2, were evaluated over two seasons in controlled pot-based conditions. Plants were subjected to five distinct watering stages, from well-watered to severe drought. Root traits, such as length, density, and xylem anatomical features, were analyzed alongside stem water potential (Ψstem) to gauge plant water status. Results showed significant genotype-specific differences in root morphology and anatomy, impacting drought tolerance and recovery. Rootstocks with higher root length density (RLD) and a larger proportion of fine roots maintained Ψstem more effectively under severe drought. Additionally, smaller xylem vessel diameters and reduced xylem area relative to root cross-sectional area correlated with improved water transport efficiency and faster recovery post-drought. A trade-off emerged wherein increased root density enhanced water uptake capacity but came at the cost of reduced transport efficiency. Notably, rootstocks 420A, 41B, RM2, and Fercal displayed superior drought resilience, while the RG-series did not outperform established genotypes like 13-5 Evex, 110 Richter, and 140 Ruggeri. These results underscore the role of root morphology and anatomy in grapevine drought tolerance, suggesting that these traits could be incorporated as criteria for future rootstocks breeding programs. Nevertheless, field-testing under non-limiting soil conditions is essential to validate these findings.

Achieving more environmentally sustainable vineyards, particularly regarding efficient water use, is paramount in semi-arid grape-growing regions. Rootstocks may be a possible strategy to address these challenges, but require a comprehensive evaluation of their effect on the scion, including ecophysiological traits. The objectives of this study were 1) to characterize the physiological response of Tempranillo cultivar grafted onto five commercial (1103 P, 110 R, 140Ru, 420 A, and SO4), and seven recently bred (RG2, RG3, RG4, RG6, RG7, RG8 and RG9) rootstocks and 2) to elucidate the relationships between agronomic and physiological traits conferred by grapevine rootstocks. This was carried out over three seasons (2018–2020) in a typical Mediterranean vineyard by determining water relations, leaf gas exchange, carbon isotope ratios and vegetative development and yield components. The results highlighted the different behaviour of ‘Tempranillo’ vines due to the rootstock effects on vine water status, photosynthetic performance, hydraulic conductance, vegetative growth and yield parameters. Overall, rootstocks inducing vigour and yield in the scion, such as 140Ru and RG8, showed higher leaf gas exchange rates and hydraulic conductance at the whole-plant level due to less negative water potentials, suggesting a higher water uptake and transport capacity than RG2, RG7 and RG9. The RG rootstocks showed a very wide range of ecophysiological responses, but only RG8 outperformed compared to the most widely used commercial rootstocks. Moreover, this response was modulated by the season and the block soil type, suggesting the importance of rootstock selection according to the edaphoclimatic conditions. Therefore, this study highlights the high potential of rootstocks to adapt to water scarcity by improving crop water productivity in vineyards and provides physiological insights for future studies and breeding programmes.

Rootstock election is one of the key decisions when designing a vineyard. Although the research performed to determine the effect they induce in the behaviour of scion varieties is not scarce, it is not easy to have a global idea, as results are usually published scattered. In this work, we re-examine previous research conducted in Spain on rootstock implications on vine agronomic performance through the performance of a meta-analysis (MA). As a result, we were able to integrate the information reported in 20 articles that included rootstock experimentation conducted with 36 different varieties and 47 different rootstocks, totalling 764 individual records. However, when the information was filtered before the meta-analysis, this number decreased to 312 records, for which rootstock Response Ratios (RR) were calculated. The characteristics conferred by the rootstock were more closely related to the rootstock itself, rather than to the characteristics of the Vitis sp. crossing used to create the rootstock. Several rootstocks were identified as more suitable for adapting to future climate change conditions, as far as they were able to moderate sugar accumulation and pH (161-49 C, 41-B MGt and 420A MGt). Meanwhile, 140 Ru and 5-BB were observed to provide high pH and sugar contents despite their high yield. In conclusion, despite being based on data from a single country, the meta-analysis was shown to be a useful tool for enhancing the value of previous research on rootstocks. Combining articles from both peer-reviewed and technical journals helped in the assessment of the implications of different rootstocks, although further steps should be taken to facilitate data integration (harmonisation of measurement and reporting procedures, open data repositories, etc).

We aim to develop and transfer to the wine sector a decision support system (DSS) in the frame of WANEGRAPE4.0 project that, integrated into a geographic information system, helps wine growers in i) selecting the most suitable rootstock given some agroecological conditions and oenological objectives; and ii) managing irrigation and nitrogen fertilization in the most suitable way for the selected rootstock and agroecological conditions. The following goals have been achieved. First, the modular structure and information flow of the DSS has been defined. Second, the main algorithms of the water balance module (DSS core part) have been formulated and the module coded in a spreadsheet. Third, this water balance module has been tested with data from field experiments in several regions of Spain. Fourth, the relationships between grapevine water status and production and harvest quality variables have been established, revealing an always-significant effects of the decrease in water stress on vegetative development, yield, and grape composition. Fifth, the nitrogen fertilizer effects on vine performance has been assessed. Sixth, the effects rootstocks have on 5 parameters of vine production and grape quality for winemaking have been established too by doing another meta-analysis of rootstock trials. Seventh, a rootstock selection module has been defined. The WANUGRAPE4.0 project goes on with the integration of all its modules, their coding in a World Wide Web language and their publication on an Internet portal.

Selecting genotypes with a better capacity to respond and adapt to soil water deficits is essential to achieve the sustainability of grapevine cultivation in the context of increasing water scarcity. However, cultivar changes are very poorly accepted, and therefore it is particularly interesting to explore the intracultivar genetic diversity in water use efficiency (WUE). In previous studies, the cultivar “Grenache” has shown up to 30% variability in WUE. This research aimed to confirm the intracultivar variability and to elucidate the traits underlying this variability in the response to a water deficit by analyzing the growth rates, water relations, osmotic potential, leaf morphology, leaf gas exchange and carbon isotope discrimination in nine “Grenache” genotypes grown in pots during two seasons. The results showed lower differences in WUE and carbon isotope ratio than in previous field studies, but fairly good consistency in genotype ranking. Leaf mass area and osmotic potential did not underlie differences in stem water potential and in stomatal conductance. Overall, stomatal regulation and photosynthetic capacity seem to underlie differences in WUE among genotypes with an important environmental influence. These results confirm the ability to select clones with higher WUE and present an opportunity for the genetic improvement of WUE in grapevines.

Sustainable development involves three basic pillars: environmental, economic, and social. In the case of the wine sector, sustainability needs to integrate the concept defined by economics, ecology, and community dimensions for both grape and wine production. The wine industry is a large, globalized, and diversified sector encompassing multiple production systems and cultures, diverse management choices and a wide range of monitoring tools and solutions. This chapter presents and discusses the most relevant risks and concerns of modern wine industry and major sustainability issues related to wine production and related supply chain. The wine sector must implement more sustainable practices to mitigate climate change impacts and to decrease its environmental impact while ensuring its important economic and social function. Metrics and standards are required to support audits, efficient management, and regulatory parameters. Social issues must be addressed by the sector, especially because it strongly relies on human resources and manual labor. Research and development activities and related innovation (e.g., digitalization, sensors, mechanization, and recycling) can result in improved sustainability and resilience while the lack of transparency of the sector will harm confidence of consumers and competiveness.

Mediterranean viticulture is highly dependent on soil water availability. Moreover, global warming is likely to increase average temperatures and the frequency of heat waves, thus leading to greater water scarcity. To cope with this situation, much research focused on the selection of genotypes with higher water use efficiency (WUE). Several previous studies indicated that WUE varies between genotypes of the Tempranillo cultivar with some showing interesting improvement in the leaf WUE. Here, we assessed the associations between the leaf WUE and physiological parameters in six selected Tempranillo clones. The plants were cultivated in pots and two water conditions were applied sequentially: a well-watered period followed by a moderate water stress and recovery phase. Growth parameters and intrinsic WUE were monitored during both periods. Pressure–volume and AN/Ci curves were measured after the plants were re-watered. At the end of the season, biomass accumulation and total irrigation water were used to calculate whole plant WUE (WUEWP). AN/Ci curves revealed significant differences in several photosynthetic parameters, including mesophyll conductance (gm), maximum velocity of carboxylation (Vcmax) and leaf respiration (R). Clones RJ51 and 1048 both exhibited high WUE, but presented distinct physiological traits: RJ51 had the highest gm, while genotype 1048, had the lowest R. This study confirms that physiological traits generally explain the intracultivar diversity in WUE observed in previous studies.

Background and Aims Measuring the carbon assimilation and respiration during vine phenology can provide an understanding of the dynamics of carbon fluxes from different organs and their relationship. Most field studies to date do not consider the respiratory losses of different plant organs and their variability under environmental, genetic and phenological changes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of genotype and water regime on carbon assimilation, respiration and allocation during vine phenology. Methods and Results Field trials were carried out during 2013 and 2014 to study the effect of genotype and water status on carbon assimilation, respiratory losses from leaves, shoots, fruits and roots during the vine phenological cycle, and on biomass production. Carbon respiration varied during plant phenology and represented a significant proportion of the total vine carbon assimilation. The integrated carbon respiratory loss in leaves, fruits and roots was greater in irrigated vines than in non-irrigated vines. Tempranillo recorded the highest carbon assimilation, leaf and stem respiration, as well as the highest above-ground biomass. Garnacha showed a higher root respiration loss and allocated more biomass to the permanent organs. Accumulation of above-ground biomass was influenced by plant carbon budgets during the growing season. Conclusions Vine phenology, cultivar and plant water status affected carbon assimilation, carbon loss and carbon allocation. Non-irrigated vines had a higher respiratory carbon loss in respect to the total carbon assimilation by photosynthesis. Above- and below-ground carbon fluxes were coupled during vine phenology. Significance of the Study The present work illustrates the importance of respiratory processes on the carbon balance and the relationship among different carbon balance components during vine phenology.

Almond, one of the most characteristic crops in the agricultural landscape of Mallorca Island, cultivated mainly under rainfed conditions and from native cultivars, represents an important source of income for the Island. Nowadays, modern cultivars were introduced to meet the almond demand, agronomical needs, and climate change issues. Consumption has considerably increased in the last years and the SARS-CoV-2 virus contributed to consumer behavior changes. The present work aimed to characterize 14 cultivars of which 9 were modern and 5 natives. In general, the natives cultivars presented a lower weight (1.3 g), size (21 mm), darker skin (L = 38), softer texture (107 N), with more benzaldehyde flavor (2-fold change) and “twins” (16%), but with a greater thickness, fiber, and linoleic acid (0.1-fold change, respectively). Modern cultivars offered greater weight (1.5 g), size (24 mm), lighter skin (L = 39), and harder texture (121 N), with no or low benzaldehyde flavor and no “twins”. Finally, ‘Belona’, ‘Ferragnès’, ‘Marta’, ‘Masbovera’, ‘Penta’, ‘Soleta’, ‘Vairo’, ‘Duareta’, ‘Jordi’ and ‘Vivot’ met all the requirements to be certified under the quality guarantee Protected Indication of Origin “Almendra de Mallorca”. However, each cultivar presented its own profile which makes them suitable for different purposes in the food industry.

The current climate change is forcing growth-adapted genotypes with a higher water use efficiency (WUE). However, the evaluation of WUE is being made by different direct and indirect parameters such as the instantaneous leaf WUE (WUEi) and isotopic discrimination of carbon (δ13C) content of fruits. In the present work, WUE has been evaluated in these two ways in a wide collection of grapevine genotypes, including Tempranillo and Garnacha clones, and Tempranillo on different rootstocks (T-rootstocks). A total of 70 genotypes have been analysed in four experimental fields over two years. The parameters used to measure WUE were the bunch biomass isotopic discrimination (δ13C) and the intrinsic WUE (WUEi), defined as the ratio between net CO2 assimilation and stomatal conductance. The genotypes with the highest and lowest WUE were identified, differences between them being found to be of more than 10%. Generally, the two parameters showed coincidences in the clones with the highest and lowest WUE, suggesting that both are valuable tools to classify genotypes by their WUE in grapevine breeding programs. However, δ13C seemed to be a better indicator for determining WUE because it represents the integration over the synthesis time of the sample analysed (mainly sugars from ripening grapes), which coincides with the driest period for the crop. Moreover, the WUEi is a variable parameter in the plant and it is more dependent on the environmental conditions. The present work suggests that carbon isotopic discrimination could be an interesting parameter for the clonal selection criteria in grapevines by WUE. The main reasons were its better discrimination between clones, the fact that sampling is less time-consuming and easier to do than WUEi, and that the samples can be stored for late determinations, increasing the number of samples that can be analysed.

The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the responses to water deficit stress and recovery capacity of young potted trees from two olive cultivars, Empeltre cv. and the widely planted Arbequina cv. The experiment was carried out under semiarid environmental conditions at the experimental field of the University of Balearic Islands in Mallorca, Spain. Two-year-old plants in 22 L pots were exposed to three water availability regimes (full capacity [FC]; 50% FC; 30% FC). Growth, gas exchange, intrinsic water use efficiency, C 13 discrimination and biochemical parameters (total soluble sugars, proline, starch, total soluble protein, pigments and phenolic fraction) were evaluated. Plants were rewetted and assessed again after the re-watering period. Drought stress reduced photosynthesis, mainly by regulating stomatal conductance (g s ). Arbequina cv. exhibited a more conservative water use strategy than Empeltre, with greater reductions in g s , accompanied by significant reductions in vegetative growth. Non-significant differences in intrinsic water use efficiency were observed between cultivars and treatments. However, C 13 discrimination analysis showed better water use efficiency in Empeltre than Arbequina in all treatments. Water deficit stress caused an increase of proline and total soluble solids and a reduction of starch, total soluble protein and chlorophylls concentrations of both cultivars. Empeltre showed a higher total phenol concentration than Arbequina during non-water deficit stress conditions. Cultivar-specific differences in the mechanisms to deal with drought were observed. Empeltre cv. exhibits a higher capacity to tolerate drought and it continues growing under water stress and recovery.

The selection of genotypes best adapted to environmental conditions has traditionally focused on agronomic and grape composition parameters. However, to classify the genotypes most adapted to climate change conditions, the aim must be to focus on the ecophysiological responses that will ultimately determine their performance. The variability in water use efficiency of 13 Grenache genotypes over three-seasons was assessed under field conditions at leaf, grape and plant level. Results showed a significant effect of genotype at all three levels, and despite the large interannual variability there was a remarkable consistency among levels. Furthermore, using genotype-specific regressions it was possible to identify significant differences in the intrinsic water use efficiency response of each genotype as a function of the vine water status. The relationship between net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, as well as carbon isotope discrimination in grapes, were also confirmed as reliable physiological indicators for selecting grapevine genotypes to future environmental conditions. Therefore, the proposed multi-level methodology was useful to quantify the intracultivar variability and the identification of more and less efficient genotypes within Grenache.

Studding olive trees water requirements allows a better water efficiency management. That is why more and more efforts are being made to develop new techniques for more efficient irrigation. In this respect, the estimation of the water needs was carried out using precise methods integrating the maximum parameters of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Some researchers have been based on the use of the climatic method, which is summed up by estimating reference evapotranspiration. Other studies have been based on the direct measurement of tree transpiration (physiological method) by xylem sap flow measurements that are more representative of the tree’s water status. Each of these methods is based on a set of climatic, edaphic and physiological parameters of the olive tree. The present work is based on an experimental study carried out on the table olive cultivar “Meski” conducted in intensive. This study aims to estimate the water requirements of the olive tree for a possible optimization of irrigation. To do this, a calculation of the water requirements was carried out by two methods: (1) physiological methods based on Sap flow measured at stem level (T1) and (2) climatic method based on climatic parameters and the water balance (T2). These results allowed us to state that the physiological method allows a better estimation of water requirements. This method also improves the profitability of the olive tree with better optimization of the use of water that arrives up to save 15% water.

Viticulture is facing emerging challenges not only because of the effect of climate change on yield and composition of grapes, but also of a social demand for environmental-friendly agricultural management. Adaptation to these challenges is essential to guarantee the sustainability of viticulture. The aim of this review is to present adaptation possibilities from the soil-hidden, and often disregarded, part of the grapevine, the roots. The complexity of soil–root interactions makes necessary a comprehensive approach taking into account physiology, pathology and genetics, in order to outline strategies to improve viticulture adaptation to current and future threats. Rootstocks are the link between soil and scion in grafted crops, and they have played an essential role in viticulture since the introduction of phylloxera into Europe at the end of the 19th century. This review outlines current and future challenges that are threatening the sustainability of the wine sector and the relevant role that rootstocks can play to face these threats. We describe how rootstocks along with soil management can be exploited as an essential tool to deal with the effects of climate change and of emerging soil-borne pests and pathogens. Moreover, we discuss the possibilities and limitations of diverse genetic strategies for rootstock breeding.

Understanding the local effects of global warming-derived impacts is important to island systems due to their fragile environmental conditions. This is especially true when it comes to Mediterranean insular regions as they are climate change (CC) hotspots where adaptation and mitigation policy design is an urgent matter. Looking at 2030 as a time horizon for climate action and focusing on the Balearic Islands, this paper reviews the physical changes projected for the coming decades as a result of CC and analyses their impacts on regional environmental, economic and social variables. Mitigation and adaptation measures are also proposed based on the identified priority impacts. The fact the Balearics are a top world holiday destination allows the analysis to serve as a guide to other Mediterranean islands with tourism-based economies facing similar CC scenarios. Results show the projected rise of temperature and sea level; the reduction of the average precipitation and increase in evapotranspiration, the droughts and the increase in ocean acidification and deoxygenation are the main threats faced by the Balearics, this putting their economy at risk due to the high tourism's vulnerability to CC. Mitigation and adaptation action on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, water resources, energy, infrastructure and urban planning, human health, economy, law and education is recommended. Sustainable mobility and waste managing are also viewed as important fields for mitigation action. Conclusions show that diversifying the current socioeconomic model is needed to increase the community and territory resilience.

Water is a vulnerable resource in the Mediterranean region, but irrigation demands have been increasing to mitigate effects of environmental stress. Sustainable wine production involves the precise use of water in the vineyard and winery. Improved knowledge on grapevine ecophysiology and genetics, the use of sensors for soil and canopy monitoring, plant phenotyping and improved crop management can help save water. In the winery, best management practices and improved water metrics will promote water savings and decrease wastewater production.