project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group

VITICAST – Innovative solutions for the prediction of fungal diseases in grapevine

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Completed | 2020 - 2022 Spain
Completed | 2020 - 2022 Spain

Objectives

This innovation project seeks the implementation of innovative solutions for the prediction of fungal diseases in grapevines by establishing a tool for warning of potential infections that combines the climate parameters monitored in the vineyard along with the forecast of the initiation of the phenological stages of agronomic interest and the prediction by aerobiological and phytopathological techniques of the amount of inoculum necessary for infection.Besides the consideration of the infection risk levels which are intented to be determined, application of phytosanitary treatments are expected to be reduced, thus resulting in the wine quality improvement and the environment protection.

Activities

1)Determine the beginning of different phenological phases in the selected DOs,depending on the grape variety, by means of field observation and pheno-climatic models;

2)Establish prediction models of the amount of fungal spores in the vineyard atmosphere and determine infection risk thresholds;

3)Develop specific algorithms with the meteorological data that allow identifying the potential moments for fungal attacks;

4)Establish in each DO a warning station for possible infections to optimize the integral and sustainable cultivation of the vine;

5)Optimize the number of phytosanitary treatments(reduction of production costs,increase in wine quality,better protection of environment).

Additional information

FULL MEMBERSHIP
MAIN PARTNERTS: Monet Tecnología e Innovación SL, Viña Costeira Sociedad Cooperativa Galega, Bodegas Hacienda Monasterio SL, Fundación Empresa Universidad Gallega, Diputación de Pontevedra - Estación Fitopatolóxica de Areeiro, Universidad de Vigo, Bodega Matarromera SL
OTHER PARTNERS: Universidad de Santiago de Compostela,  Plataforma Tecnológica del Vino, Asociación de Colleiteiros Embotelladores do Ribeiro, Asociación Galega de Viticultura
 

Project details
Main funding source
Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
Rural Development Programme
2014ES06RDNP001 España - Programa Nacional de Desarrollo Rural
Emplacement
Main geographical location
Pontevedra
Other geographical location
Valladolid, Ourense

EUR 615 249.00

Total budget

Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.

7 Practice Abstracts

R7 - Optimization of the number of chemical treatments in viticulture.

The optimization of the number of chemical plant protection treatments in viticulture has been achieved, resulting in reduced cultural management costs, improved wine quality, and environmental protection. For experimentation, each phytosanitary treatment was applied in the control plots, and a wide range of pesticides available in the market were quantified, confirming that the levels were below the legal limits.

The following results were obtained:

- The reduction in treatments in the two plots at Hacienda Monasterio using the VITICAST strategy was 60% for powdery mildew and 100% for downy mildew.

- The reduction in the number of treatments in the San Marcos plot using the VITICAST strategy was 53%.

R6 - Creation of a risk warning tool for infection that combines phenological, meteorological, and aerobiological data.

A tool was developed that allows for the visualization of disease risk through a web platform. The disease risk is recalculated every hour to provide the most up-to-date information.

For downy mildew, the process of calculating winter oospore maturation is initiated. Once oospore maturation is complete, the germination process begins, which will occur under specific conditions of temperature, ambient humidity, and/or rainfall. If germination is successful, sporangium dispersion will occur, triggering primary infection. Once the oospore is mature, the process of calculating primary infections and their associated incubation periods begins.

For powdery mildew, two distinct models are calculated. The first model consists of two stages: primary and secondary. The primary stage of powdery mildew takes into account infections caused by ascospores from the soil. The risk index calculated in this stage is independent of the risk index of previous days. In this stage, the evolution of temperature throughout the day is the key parameter for calculating the index value. The second model for powdery mildew focuses on protecting the grape cluster, weighing the risk of infection during moments when the cluster is most susceptible to the disease.

R5 - Development and adaptation of algorithms for identifying favorable moments for infection based on meteorological data.

Using meteorological data collected during the 2021 campaign, real-time data is now available every 15 minutes, along with a historical dataset of meteorological data recorded every 15 minutes in the study plots since the installation and setup or adaptation of the weather stations. Additionally, there is a historical record of key parameters calculated from the meteorological data collected every 15 minutes in the study plots since the installation and setup or adaptation of the weather stations. The calculated parameters of interest include evapotranspiration, water balance, accumulated degree-days since January 1st, accumulated degree-days since bud break, chilling hours, and chilling hours above 0°C.

Using the available data, disease risk models have been adjusted for all the plots, and their calibration has been verified with field observations to develop a final disease risk calculation model for downy mildew, powdery mildew, and botrytis.

R4 - Determination of spore concentration thresholds in the air against lesions and leaf spots observed a few days later.

It was found that Botrytis levels were generally much higher in 2021 compared to 2020, with a peak of 1556 spores on April 26th. The highest peak in 2020 occurred on May 4th, with 859 spores. Powdery mildew levels were generally higher in 2020, with the peak reaching 454 spores on May 25th. In 2021, the maximum peak for powdery mildew occurred on June 11th, with 286 spores, roughly half of the levels recorded in 2020.

As for downy mildew, spore levels were much higher in 2020, with a peak of 152 spores on June 4th. In 2021, the maximum value reached 99 spores on August 3rd. These spore peaks coincided with periods when the disease risk model indicated high infection risk, and plant protection treatments were applied to combat the disease.

Additionally, in Matarromera, a treatment with Cyclo M-Plus (Afrasa - Folpet 40% + Metalaxil 10% + Mefenosan 5%) was applied at 1 kg/ha for its protective, preventive, and systemic action. In the 2021 campaign, a marked decrease in plants showing symptoms of downy mildew was observed. The initial conclusion is that applying antimildew treatments as a preventive measure after harvest could be an effective strategy for controlling the fungus

R3 - Development of a general spore prediction model for each phytopathogen.

The study conducted to develop the prediction model involved using leaf discs colonized by oospores, which were placed in mesh bags and buried slightly in the vineyard under natural field conditions. The results confirmed that the maturation occurred in the third week of March. However, due to the high number of germinated spores observed, it was considered that the germination may have occurred the week before. As in the previous year, the oospore maturation date was one of the earliest recorded since 1997 (when the EFA began applying this determination method), and even earlier when considering the germination in the previous week, as mentioned earlier.

A statistical model was developed to predict the spore concentration of each pathogen. These models allow the presence of the fungus in the vineyard to be detected before lesions appear on plants, with a prediction horizon ranging from 3 to 7 days depending on the phenological phase. To achieve this, a statistical study was conducted to identify the most influential parameters on the presence of spores in the atmosphere. The most statistically significant parameters were used as estimators for the models. The best performance was achieved for powdery mildew, with a success rate close to 97%.

R2 - Comparing phenological parameter trends to assess the impact of various climate change scenarios predicted by the IPCC on grapevine cultivation in the two bioclimatic regions of the study area.

The results showed that climate conditions in the study region could change for grapevine cultivation in the future, with greater variation expected in the Mediterranean bioclimatic area compared to the Eurosiberian one. It is also estimated that areas currently too cold for grapevine cultivation could become suitable for producing quality wine grapes in the future, particularly in higher-altitude areas of the Mediterranean zones. Predictions for the BBLI and GSP indices suggest a reduction in the threshold below which the likelihood of mildew attacks on vines is low, especially in areas within the Eurosiberian region and the nearby transitional zones. If the trend of increasing temperatures continues, some cultural practices will need to be adjusted to preserve the suitability of grapevine cultivation in the study area. These adjustments may include changing to better-adapted grapevine varieties, implementing fertigation practices, or relocating vineyards to higher altitudes currently characterized by cooler climatic conditions.

The results of this study could assist viticulturists and policymakers in identifying and prioritizing adaptation measures

R1 - Development of phenoclimatic models for the evolution of phenological phases for each plot under study and for each grape variety.

To determine the start of different phenological phases in the selected study areas, field observations and phenoclimatic models were used to quantify the cold and heat requirements that influence dormancy breaking and the subsequent start of the reproductive cycle. The various phenoclimatic models developed are summarized as follows:

The model for Tempranillo aligns well with the phenological states of flowering and fruit set. The worst fit occurs in the states of separated flower buds and bunch closure, where the model is delayed by seven days compared to the field observations. This suggests that the model is nearing the limit of its validity.

The model for Treixadura exhibits greater variance, particularly in the separated flower bud state, where it is advanced by 8 days. Thus, the model would be considered to be beyond the valid interval.

It is important to note that the phenological model, based on temperature accumulation, can adapt from one season to the next. Therefore, for plots where adjustments were made during the first year of implementation, the model's accuracy improved in the second year.

With all the data collected, a "Phenological Prediction Model" was developed to mark the end of dormancy and the start of the main phenological stages, leading to the harvest.

Contacts

Project coordinator

  • MONET TECNOLOGÍA E INNOVACIÓN S.L.

    Project coordinator

Project partners

  • Bodega Matarromera S.L.

    Project partner

  • Bodegas Hacienda Monasterio S.L.

    Project partner

  • Diputación de Pontevedra - Estación Fitopatolóxica de Areeiro

    Project partner

  • Fundación Empresa Universidad Gallega

    Project partner

  • Universidade de Vigo

    Project partner

  • Viña Costeira Sociedad Cooperativa Galega

    Project partner