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Climate is a determinant driver for grapevine geographical distribution, influencing yield and berry quality. The current environmental changes are intensifying the need to improve the knowledge of the soil–plant–atmosphere system in the vineyard, to properly manage cultivation factors and to increase berry yield and quality. Since most of the berry growth and ripening phases occur during the driest period in the Mediterranean area, increasing environmental constraints are expected to impose more and more limitations on grapevine productivity and finally on wine quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether different pedoclimatic conditions in four proximally located vineyards of the Campania Region in Southern Italy determine differences in crop yield and must quality of Vitis vinifera L. subsp. vinifera "Falanghina". This study was conducted over three growing seasons, by monitoring vine growth and characterizing yield and must quality. The overall results showed differences in yield and berry quality characteristics for the four vineyards, with the field CA (Calvese) and GR (Grottole) showing pedoclimatic conditions limiting growth and yield compared to SL (Santa Lucia) and AC (Acquefredde). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in severe drought events due to climate change in the areas traditionally suitable for viticulture is enhancing the need to understand how grapevines regulate their photosynthetic metabolism in order to forecast specific cultivar adaptive responses to the changing environment. This study aims at evaluating the association between leaf anatomical traits and eco-physiological adjustments of the 'Falanghina' grapevine under different microclimatic conditions at four sites in southern Italy. Sites were characterized by different pedoclimatic conditions but, as much as possible, were similar for plant material and cultivation management. Microscopy analyses on leaves were performed to quantify stomata and vein traits, while eco-physiological analyses were conducted on vines to assess plant physiological adaptation capability. At the two sites with relatively low moisture, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, photosystem electron transfer rate, and quantum yield of PSII, linear electron transport was lower compared to the other two sites. Stomata size was higher at the site characterized by the highest precipitation. However, stomatal density and most vein traits tended to be relatively stable among sites. The number of free vein endings per unit leaf area was lower in the two vineyards with low precipitation. We suggest that site-specific stomata and vein traits modulation in Falanghina grapevine are an acclimation strategy that may influence photosynthetic performance. Overall in-depth knowledge of the structure/function relations in Falanghina vines might be useful to evaluate the plasticity of this cultivar towards site-specific management of vineyards in the direction of precision viticulture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]