Viticulture is one of the most important agronomic sectors worldwide. Nowadays, vine cultivation is dramatically affected by pests and pathogens, that impact both yields and grape quality. The intense and indiscriminate use of pesticides, mainly fungicides, led to the emergence of resistant pathogen genotypes and environmental issues, leading to the search for sustainable alternatives. Microbial biocontrol agents (mBCAs) and plant-growth promoters (PGPs) can provide a valuable alternative to common agrochemicals, resulting in a lower dosage of active substances and a reduction of possible off-target effects, ultimately leading to a lower impact on the agroecosystem. In the last few years, the European Union has been moving towards a new agricultural model, no longer grounded on the extensive use of plant protection products (PPPs), but on the integration of different approaches (chemical, biological, and mechanical-agronomic) as outlined in the European Green Deal initiatives. One of the main alternatives to agrochemicals relies on the concept of bio-protection, namely the use of Biological Control Agents and Plant-Growth Promoting Microorganisms (PGPMs) in the field. The work presented in this thesis represents an initial step towards the optimization of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for the management of biotic and abiotic diseases affecting grapevine, with the aim of providing a sustainable alternative to the use of synthetic PPPs in conventional farming systems. Samples were collected from the rhizosphere of three vineyards in Verona (Italy) differing in edaphic and agronomic parameters, as well as plant genotypes, with the aim of isolating microorganisms with a potential as BCAs and/or PGP. Fungal and bacterial isolates were evaluated for their potential beneficial behaviour. The deep analysis of selected bacterial genomes allowed to identify three potential new species of Pseudomonas with PGPR features, and a global bioinformatic approach was applied to better characterized the isolates belonging to Bacillus velezensis, proposing the division of the species within 10 phylogroups displaying peculiar features, Finally, a metabarcoding analysis was conducted to provide insights into the structure of the microbial communities inhabiting this ecological niche in vineyards from different Mediterranean countries.
Ecological survey for biological management and protection of Italian vineyards in the face of climate change
Elia Soriato
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
2026-01-01
Abstract
Viticulture is one of the most important agronomic sectors worldwide. Nowadays, vine cultivation is dramatically affected by pests and pathogens, that impact both yields and grape quality. The intense and indiscriminate use of pesticides, mainly fungicides, led to the emergence of resistant pathogen genotypes and environmental issues, leading to the search for sustainable alternatives. Microbial biocontrol agents (mBCAs) and plant-growth promoters (PGPs) can provide a valuable alternative to common agrochemicals, resulting in a lower dosage of active substances and a reduction of possible off-target effects, ultimately leading to a lower impact on the agroecosystem. In the last few years, the European Union has been moving towards a new agricultural model, no longer grounded on the extensive use of plant protection products (PPPs), but on the integration of different approaches (chemical, biological, and mechanical-agronomic) as outlined in the European Green Deal initiatives. One of the main alternatives to agrochemicals relies on the concept of bio-protection, namely the use of Biological Control Agents and Plant-Growth Promoting Microorganisms (PGPMs) in the field. The work presented in this thesis represents an initial step towards the optimization of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for the management of biotic and abiotic diseases affecting grapevine, with the aim of providing a sustainable alternative to the use of synthetic PPPs in conventional farming systems. Samples were collected from the rhizosphere of three vineyards in Verona (Italy) differing in edaphic and agronomic parameters, as well as plant genotypes, with the aim of isolating microorganisms with a potential as BCAs and/or PGP. Fungal and bacterial isolates were evaluated for their potential beneficial behaviour. The deep analysis of selected bacterial genomes allowed to identify three potential new species of Pseudomonas with PGPR features, and a global bioinformatic approach was applied to better characterized the isolates belonging to Bacillus velezensis, proposing the division of the species within 10 phylogroups displaying peculiar features, Finally, a metabarcoding analysis was conducted to provide insights into the structure of the microbial communities inhabiting this ecological niche in vineyards from different Mediterranean countries.
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