Innovation and experimentation

PARTNERS:

University of Udine, University of Milan, Institute of Applied Genomics

DESCRIPTION:

VCR, in partnership with the Institute of Applied Genomics of Udine, the University of Udine and the University of Milan, has been engaged for several years in a project of vine genetic improvement, striving to obtain new varieties of wine and table grapes as well as rootstocks, resistant to the most common biotic and abiotic stresses. In 2015 VCR started their own genetic improvement program: since then, every year tens of thousands of new seedlings, the result of controlled pollinations, go through a meticulous expertise aimed at assessing their resistance capacity and their agronomic and oenological aptitudes.

GOAL:

In the forthcoming years Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo are committed to developing, through the implementation of multiple sources of resistance, new grape varieties that will be able to withstand the most common diseases. The creation of new and more performing genotypes will allow our viticulture to respond to the challenges set by both climate change and market needs. Hence, the focus is set upon the creation of new seedless table varieties, more performing rootstocks and new disease-resistant varieties.

RESULTS:

VCR collaborated to the approval and production of 14 UNIUD-IGA-VCR downy- and powdery-mildew resistant vines, which are being currently marketed both in Italy and abroad, and hold the exclusive license for the M-rootstocks obtained by the University of Milan. Furthermore, the appraisal process of several dozen of new VCR original genotypes is at an advanced stage: these new genotypes are the result of crossings between effective resistance-bearing parents and traditional grape varieties native of many wine-growing countries.

PROJECT:

POR FESR 2014-2020, Action Line 1.3.a: endowments to companies for joint industrial research and experimental development activities

PARTNERS:
IGATech

DESCRIPTION:

Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo, in partnership with IGA Technology Services Srl, has launched the NeosVine project for the use of modern green biotechnologies in the grape-growing industry, also known as “New Plant Breeding Technologies, NBPTs”.

GOAL:

The project involves research activities for the implementation of an innovative genome-editing approach with the use of CRISPR/Cas9. The expansion of the theoretical and practical knowledge inherent in this genomic technology would allow the development of new cultivars, which are meant to implement sustainability in all the wine-growing production chain both at regional and national level. VCR take part in this project by sharing their tools and skills in the selection and recovery of plant material, in micropropagation and diagnostic.

RESULTS:

The expected results consist in a prototype-vine bearing the desired genetic corrections in given specific genes. These modifications will improve agronomic and oenological performances as well as the resistance to specific biotic and abiotic stresses. This new operational approach, once optimized, will make it possible to improve the characteristics of the mostly cultivated grape varieties while completely preserving their genetic identity.

PARTNERS:
Italian and international Research Institutes

CONTACT PERSON:
Prof. Gianfranco Romanazzi, Università Politecnica delle Marche.

DESCRIPTION:

Wood diseases are one of the main viticulture issues worldwide. It is a complex of diseases caused by a still undetermined number of fungi, able to lead – in the best cases – to a significant reduction in production and – in the worst cases – to plant death, even after a few years from planting. The yearly losses amount to hundreds of millions of Euros, and no definitive solution to the problem is currently available.

GOAL:

The investigation of wood diseases is complicated by many intervening factors, such as the high number of pathogens involved, the undetermined latency period and the variability of observable symptoms, also depending on the climate effect and on the growing techniques. The purpose of this research is to monitor the long term (15/20 years) development of diseases as for symptoms and associated microorganisms in different wine-growing areas and on different varieties.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

Monitoring will provide us with important data on the long-term effects of the different variables involved in the disease development, while making possible to assess with greater detail the targets for the disease-controlling experimental tests to come.

PARTNERS:
Prof. Giuseppe Colla, Università degli studi della Tuscia, Dr.ssa Raffaella Balestrini, CNR di Torino

DESCRIPTION:

Mycorrhiza are symbiont fungi colonizing over 80% of plants including the vine. Plants and mushrooms establish a mutual relationship from which they both profit. In addition to improving nutrient absorption, the advantages for the plants are increased growth and productivity, greater tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and a better ability to withstand metal toxicity in the soil.

GOAL:

With this project Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo aim at assessing the effects of different mycorrhiza-based formulations on the performances of the vines. Specifically, tests will be made to appraise the effectiveness and the application methods of fungal strains (combined with different adjuvants) on different rootstocks.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

The evidence collected during the development stage of this project will allow VCR to fine-tune the most effective protocol to be implemented in their own production chain; it will be thus possible to offer our customers a product that will show a rapid response to post-planting related stresses.

PARTNERS:
Università degli studi di Udine

DESCRIPTION:

Hot-water treatment of graftable plant material is admitted as phytosanitary treatment both by EU Directive 2000/29/EC (EU, 2000) and by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) (PM 4/8 standard). This practice is mainly applied for the control of Flavescence dorée. Furthermore, and to some degree, it has proven to be effective also on other pathogens such as Stolbur, the causative agent of Bois noir, Agrobacterium vitis, Xylophilus ampelinus, some of the fungi responsible for wood diseases, Scaphoideus titanus eggs and phylloxera.

GOAL:

Even though hot-water treatment is a well-established practice, there are criticalities regarding its effects on plant vitality and microbiome (endophytic organisms), as well as on callusing of the grafted vine. The project aims at assessing the effects of the treatment on the said variables. It also includes protocols with different durations and temperatures, a wide set of scion/rootstock combinations, biometric measurements and molecular analysis for the identification of endophyte organisms.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo are planning to collect enough information to make a thorough assessment of hot-water treatment effects on propagation material (scions and rootstocks) according to the variables above, and to share such information in order to promote implementations of the existing protocols.

PARTNERS:
Dr. Walter Chitarra e Dr. Luca Nerva, CREA-VE (Conegliano, TV)

DESCRIPTION:

In 2020 Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo entered a partnership with CREA-VE from Conegliano (TV) aimed at assessing the effects of RNA interference as applied to the control of esca-disease precursor fungi.

GOAL:

The project aims at initiating a research and experimentation process on gene-silencing mechanisms – mediated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) – in esca-disease precursor fungi. Specific dsRNAs of essential genes of esca-disease pathogenic agents will be inoculated in plants affected by the disease itself, in order to trigger the RNA interference apparatus, thus leading to the degradation of the targeted messenger RNA, resulting in post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). The project aims at laying the foundations for the creation of a real “gene therapy” for the control of one of the most important diseases in viticulture, thus offering an alternative and modern weapon for fighting the esca disease.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

Identification of the most functional target genes, setting up of the most effective methods and application times, observation of the cultivar-specific variability of response to the treatment.

PROJECT:
POR FESR 2014-2020, Action Line 1.2.A.1 – Process and Organization Innovation

DESCRIPTION:

VCR through the Embryo4Grape project, promotes the creation of new seedless table grapes varieties via embryo-rescue technology. This technique expedites the developmental process of seedless genotypes, due to embryo explant in its initial stage of development and the subsequent transfer to selected growth media in a controlled environment.

GOAL:

The project aims at merging the embryo-rescue technique with the ongoing VCR genetic vine improvement program. The idea is to develop new seedless grape varieties that meet the present-day demand of farmers and consumers, both in terms of quality and yield and environmental sustainability. At the same time, through this project VCR wants to lay the foundations for the expansion of its own production.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

the Embryo4Grape project should put in place an updated embryo-rescue protocol of genotypes obtained through controlled crossings and the regeneration of plants characterized not only by seedlessness, but also by uniformity and greater size of the grape, color evenness, aromatic content, crunchiness, resistance to manipulation and transport, and resistance to the main grape diseases.

PARTNERS:
Small, medium and large private companies operating in the phytoiatric industry

DESCRIPTION:

VCR are involved in multiple partnerships with different companies producing agrochemicals, antagonistic organisms, useful insects, resistance inductors and organic products. The above aims at optimizing all the nursery production processes making them at the same time more sustainable. The tests involve all the production stages: grafting, callusing, nursery management and post-harvest processing.

GOAL:

This project is intended to design new, more efficient and more sustainable models of phytosanitary defense and management of plant propagation materials via the joint experimentation of all the available techniques and products/organisms that are being tested by different companies.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

Design new and more innovative management and production techniques to improve the quality of VCR products in compliance with the regulations in force and with the utmost respect for both the environment and the staff involved.