Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Foliar application of nettle and Japanese knotweed extracts on Vitis vinifera: Effects on downy mildew incidence and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis

Eliana Monteiro
ORCID logo ,
Miguel Baltazar
ORCID logo ,
Sandra Pereira
,
Sofia Correia
,
Helena Ferreira
,
Radek Bragança
,
Isabel Cortez
,
Isaura Castro
ORCID logo ,
Berta Gonçalves
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 11 August 2023 / Approved: 11 August 2023 / Online: 13 August 2023 (17:46:13 CEST)

How to cite: Monteiro, E.; Baltazar, M.; Pereira, S.; Correia, S.; Ferreira, H.; Bragança, R.; Cortez, I.; Castro, I.; Gonçalves, B. Foliar application of nettle and Japanese knotweed extracts on Vitis vinifera: Effects on downy mildew incidence and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Preprints 2023, 2023080969. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0969.v1 Monteiro, E.; Baltazar, M.; Pereira, S.; Correia, S.; Ferreira, H.; Bragança, R.; Cortez, I.; Castro, I.; Gonçalves, B. Foliar application of nettle and Japanese knotweed extracts on Vitis vinifera: Effects on downy mildew incidence and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Preprints 2023, 2023080969. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0969.v1

Abstract

Plant-based extracts have been recently employed as sustainable tools to improve biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and increase grape quality. However, knowledge about the effect of these extracts on secondary metabolism compounds, that are fundamental for grape and wine quality, is still scarce. In this study, a trial was installed in an experimental vineyard with the variety Touriga Franca located at University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Baixo Corgo sub-region of the Douro Demarcated Region, in two growing seasons: 2019 and 2020. Foliar sprayings with the natural products, nettle extract (NE) and Japanese knotweed extract (JKE), were tested to evaluate their effect on downy mildew incidence and severity, on grapevines bioactive compounds contents and antioxidant activity, at veraison and harvest. NE and JKE have stimulated an improvement in the concentration of total carotenoids in leaves and the concentration of total phenolics in berries along with an improved concentration of total phenolics and flavonoids in leaves and berries. Thus, it was verified that these extracts enhance grapevines bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity and, consequently, the physiological performance of the plant and the quality of the berries. Considering the challenges posed by climate change in the Mediterranean basin viticulture sector, the use of plant extracts might represent a sustainable tool to mitigate the increasing severity of drought, often associated to heatwaves and high irradiation. Moreover, downy mildew incidence results suggest that an integrated disease management approach combining conventional control with alternative fungicides can be used in the future for a more sustainable viticulture.

Keywords

Antioxidant activity; climate change; Douro Demarcated Region; phenolic compounds; plant extracts; sustainable viticulture; Vitis vinifera L.

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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