Not at all, according to Petronia Carillo, a full professor of agronomy at the University of Campania, and a Scientific Committee Adviser with the Biostimulants World Congress, last held in late 2023 in Milan, Italy.
Carillo says that doing research on vineyards is still relevant, and there is so much more to learn.
“Vineyards are very sensitive to climate changes, in particular temperature variations and extreme weather events,” she notes. “Research helps vineyard managers and winemakers to select grape varieties that are more resistant to temperature and drought stress, or to modify planting and harvesting times by implementing sustainable practices to mitigate the environmental impacts.”
Petronia Carillo, a full professor of agronomy, University of Campania, and a Scientific Committee Adviser
Moreover, adds Carillo, vineyards also face continuing threats from old (already known) and new disease agents, as happened with Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Neophaeomoniella zymoides in Germany, and Heliozelidae leafminers coming from North America in Italy. “It is therefore essential to develop new effective abiotic and biotic stress management strategies implementing traditional pest and disease management practices with new biocontrol strategies, while selecting new disease-resistant grape varieties.”
Clearly, the research concerning the ecological intensification of crop yield management through application of new irrigation methods, cultivation techniques and soil management practices (including the use of biostimulants), and vineyard layout designs may help vineyard managers and winemakers to ensure consistent production of high-quality grapes for winemaking while facing climate changes and minimizing the environmental impacts.
“In fact, foliar and soil application of hydrolysed protein based biostimulants to vineyards (cv. Sauvignon blanc) under drought may help increasing plant water status (presentation Sivilotti et al.). Whereas foliar treatment with Ascophyllum nodosum extracts favours macro- and micro-nutrients accumulation in multi-year Cabernet-Sauvignon wine grape (presentation Goñi et al.),” says Carillo.
Research may be also important for finding new strategies for reducing the production costs, addressing consumers preferences (e.g., organic wines and low sulphite or sulphite-free wines) and market competition while maintaining the economic viability of the wine industry.
“Moreover, maintaining a constant attention to research in vineyards do not only benefit researchers, viticulturists, winegrowers and winemakers, but may help young generations to approach and acquire education and training on this important topic, to build new professionalism while preciously preserving the knowledge of the past, guaranteeing the sustainability and growth of the wine sector,” notes Carillo.
Foliar and soil application of hydrolysed protein-based biostimulants in vineyards
During the Biostimulants World Congress in Milan, delegates heard from Paolo Sivilotti, Professor with the University of Udine, who spoke about his research on foliar and soil application of hydrolysed protein-based biostimulants in vineyards.
Paolo Sivilotti, Professor, University of Udine
Sivilotti says that hydrolysed protein-based biostimulants are largely used for both foliar or soil application to sustain crop quality and productivity, abiotic stress tolerance and nutrient use efficiency. However scarce information is available on the in-field performance of these formulations, especially in vineyards particularly susceptible to abiotic (i.e. drought) stress, which is becoming common due to climate change.
“I did not work previously with biostimulants. In the last three years, a colleague of mine, also co-author of this presentation, Marco Contin, came in my office and [said to] me,
why don’t we work with biostimulants in viticulture? I told him, why not? But I wanted to do [research] in the field because I wanted to see the effects that are helpful for the growers,” said Sivilotti.
The research team, which included Paolo Bomben, a student of Sivilotti’s, and Chiara Pituello, a Sicit Group agronomist, used during the experiment biostimulants based on protein hydrolysates (PH) that normally derive from the processing of animal or vegetal matrices following chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis. In the case of this research, they used matrices of animal origin.
“The purpose of Sicit Group is to find strategies to prolongate the biostimulant effect by modulating the release over time using different coating techniques,” noted Sivilotti. “The formulation was a blend of a Sicit biostimulant and mineral miconutrients. The technique used allowed a slow release of nutrients over time, but also a programmed delay in the beginning of mineral release.”
During the research, a coated solid biostimulant (soil applied), and two foliar biostimulants were tested in two vineyards located in northeast Italy (Vitis vinifera cv. Sauvignon and Glera), during 2021 and 2022. Plant growth, yield, plant water status and grape maturation parameters were monitored throughout the growing cycle.
At harvest, grapes were collected and wine made. On finished wines, fermentative aromas were analysed, and a sensory evaluation was performed.
“In both seasons, Sauvignon blanc vines showed conditions of water stress, and the use of
the biostimulants provided an improvement of the plant water status,” notes Sivilotti. “The Glera wines treated with biostimulants reported higher concentration of esters and acids and lower concentration of alcohols, while in the case of Sauvignon blanc no differences were found.”
Sivilotti added that promising results are expected as regards foliar biostimulants, since the first sensory evaluations revealed interesting improvements in the quality of both varieties of wines.
“The soil biostimulant improved the quality of Sauvignon blanc wines with slightly higher scores for tropical notes, body and overall pleasantness in the season 2021, while foliar biostimulant with high hydrolysis degree improved the wine quality of Sauvignon blanc with higher scores for tropical, citrus and overal pleasantness,” said Sivilotti. “Also, the soil biostimulant resulted in a better overall pleasantness of Glera sparkling wines in the season 2022.
“Overall, both soil and foliar biostimulants demonstrated to have positive effects at field level,” he added. “I see the possiblity to have some nice improvement at both plant water status and overall quality of the wines produced.”
The use of Ascophyllum nodosum extracts biostimulants to enhance micronutrient use efficiency to improve crop quality
Also during the Biostimulants World Congress in Milan, delegates heard from Oscar Goñi, chief technical officer with Brandon Bioscience on the effects of Brandon Bioscience’s alkaline Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE) biostimulant Barramar on micronutrient use efficiency and crop quality in wheat and grapevine.
Oscar Goñi, chief technical officer, Brandon Bioscience
Goñi noted that microelements such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and boron (B) have vital roles in a plant’s life cycle, as they regulate essential cellular processes, such as photosynthesis (Fe and Mn), respiration (Fe), enzyme activation and transcription (Fe, Zn), and promote the transition from the vegetative to reproductive phase (B). Micronutrients are particularly involved in the reproductive phase of plant growth or stress tolerance mechanisms, determining the yield and quality of the harvested crop. However, micronutrient deficiency in soil is a common issue in agriculture, leading to the implementation of various fertilisation strategies.
“In the present work, we investigated the effect of different Ascophyllum
nodosum extracts (ANEs) biostimulants to stimulate micronutrient use efficiency and enhance related crop quality traits,” said Goñi.
Initial screening used winter wheat seedlings under different nutrient conditions, revealing significant variation in ANE efficacy at phenotypical, biochemical and molecular levels. The research then moved on to vineyards.
“The best performing ANE from the screening was tested in multi-year wine grape field trials (cv. Cabernet-Sauvignon),” said Goñi. “ANE application via foliar spray led to nutrient accumulation in grapevine tissues and modulated berry quality markers associated with efficient micronutrient homeostasis.
“Indeed, we have observed how a specific Ascophyllum nodosum extract – Barramar – improves grape quality markers related to micronutrients,” he added. “But the research also suggests that Barramar can be used formulated with micronutrients or in an application program to maximize micronutrient use efficiency and crop quality markers.”
Considering the challenges of improving micronutrient use efficiency, the use of specific ANE biostimulants combined with good practices of fertiliser application “might be a feasible solution to provide consistent crop quality to growers,” concluded Goñi. ●
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute and INRAE have discovered three genes essential for bacteria to colonise plants and live in and on plant roots.
These genes are common to many root bacteria and are also present in those found in human or animal microbiota. This research, published in Nature Communications, sheds light on the formation of the plant microbiota that can be used to develop agroecological practices based on microbiotic functions.
Over the last 20 years, several studies have demonstrated the importance of microbiota in the growth and survival of a plant at all stages of its life. This microbiota plays a crucial role in the assimilation of nutrients and minerals in the soil. It also increases a plant’s tolerance to different types of stress and its resistance to disease. While scientists had an accurate view of microbiota structure, shortcomings in analytical tools prevented them from discovering the processes used by complex microbial communities to colonise roots.
To accurately study the microbiota of plants, researchers used thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), a model plant in research. After isolating the plant’s microbiota, they cultivated and identified its different strains of bacteria and fungi. Building on this collection of microorganisms at the Max Planck Institute, the team reconstructed a simplified but representative microbiota that was then inoculated into thale cress grown in sterile conditions — and therefore devoid of microbiota — to study how the bacteria colonised the roots. Using
advanced transcriptomic (gene expression) analysis, researchers found over 3,000 microbial genes active at the soil-root interface. They then studied the functions of these genes in greater detail.
By inactivating genes within a bacterium of this synthetic microbiota, the research team identified three essential genes that are conserved in the genomes of bacteria. If one of these genes is inactivated, bacteria are unable to colonise the roots. One gene regulates virulence in bacteria and their response to environmental stress. Another is active in the transport of compounds across the bacterial membrane. The third, in fact a set of four genes working together, allows the bacterium to measure phosphate levels in the environment and adapt its metabolism accordingly.
Researchers believe that the three genes allow bacteria to adapt to very different environments, and therefore colonise living hosts. The genes are conserved in the many bacteria that have co-evolved with their host plants over millions of years. These findings pave the way for new research to promote the abundance of bacteria that are beneficial to their host’s health, whether plant or animal. ●
Photo: INRAE - Bertrand Nicolas
Biobest Group N.V. and Antilsan announced the acquisition by Biobest Group of Antilsan’s remaining 40 percent share in Biobest Antalya, a Turkey-based company in bumblebee pollination and biological control.
Antilsan will focus on business opportunities in fertilizers, biostimulants and distribution of agrochemical products.
The partnership between Biobest and Antilsan started as a production joint venture in 1998 and evolved into a fully-fledged production and distribution company in 2014.
Antilsan and Biobest will continue to collaborate commercially while being fully independent in terms of shareholding.
In addition, Biobest Group announced the completion of its acquisition of Biotrop Participações s.a. As agreed in the contract signed early September 2023, Biobest acquired approximately 85 percent of the shares based on an enterprise value of BRL 2.8bn (EUR 532m) on a fully diluted basis. The remaining 15 percent will be acquired by Biobest after a transition period of three years.
With this transaction, Biobest takes a major position in South America and is fully equipped to start its transformation journey from a horticulture biocontrol and pollination specialist to a major biologicals player in agriculture, covering beneficials, biopesticides, biostimulants and bioinoculants, and pollination in covered and in open-field crops.
Biotrop’s management team will continue to drive the company’s growth and becomes part of Biobest Group’s global leadership, including Biotrop CEO Antonio Zem. ●
HELM has expanded its Plant Advantage portfolio with the introduction of two products, Contour and UpLink.
Contour, a soil improvement product, is crafted to enhance soil quality and plant performance across various parameters. Leveraging proprietary bacterial metabolites, Contour promotes nutrient availability, drives root growth, aids in residue management, enhances microbial activity and optimizes overall soil functionality.
UpLink combines potassium, molybdenum, and two biostimulants to assimilate nitrates and other usable forms of nitrogen, creating essential amino acids.
The company stated that its Plant Advantage portfolio offers a range of biological products that empower farmers to optimize their agricultural practices, increase efficiency, and achieve sustainable and profitable results.
HELM Agro US, Inc., located in Tampa, Florida, was founded in 2003. Its parent company, HELM AG, is a multi-billion-dollar family-owned business with a history spanning 123 years.
“HELM is committed to providing growers with innovative solutions that help them achieve their production goals and overcome the challenges of modern agriculture,” said Dave Schumacher, President of HELM Agro US. “Contour and UpLink are the latest additions to our Plant Advantage portfolio, which bridges the gap between synthetic crop inputs and the new wave of biologicals.” ●
Rothamsted Resarch and Oxford University spin-out SugaROx is developing a biostimulant with potential to deliver up to 20 percent yield gains in wheat, using a single spray application.
The approach is based on trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a natural plant sugar that diverts carbon in the crops towards grain filling.
Last year, SugaROx raised £850k from Regenerate Ventures and the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund to expand wheat trials in five markets. With the T6P mechanism being universal in plants, the company is also testing the technology on new crops. Initial results are promising; on drought-
stressed sorghum, the company stated a yield benefit of 25 percent was observed.
SugaROx will develop new applications for the T6P technology and form partnerships with companies that have established distribution channels to sell the products to farmers in key markets. ●
