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Soil sealing is considered among the most dangerous of land degradation processes on Global, European and national scales. Despite important policy documents aiming to mitigate this soil threat, it currently shows no signs of abating and current efforts often do not result in appropriate implementation of soil sealing mitigation in spatial planning, which represents the subject area governing soil sealing. In this paper, we show a Spatial Decision Support Systems - based on a Geospatial Cyber-Infrastructure – with the aim of applying it as an operational instrument aiming towards soil sealing mitigation. The system has the ambition to impact on those who take decision over soil sealing; typically, these are not agriculture experts but rather spatial planners. This tool, focusing on mitigating such crucial land degradation, allows the users - via the web - to produce “what-if” land planning scenarios thanks to the “on-the-fly” modelling engines. Therefore, integrated geospatial quantitative data and procedures may be directly and freely used by planners. The tool has been applied to and tested in an area in the South of Italy. Results from two applications are reported; one addressing municipal planning and the other on a more detailed spatial scale. Furthermore, results include quantification of rural fragmentation, loss of soil ecosystem services and an estimate of soil sealing evolution over time. The tool was developed with the help of end-users and indirectly explores a change of paradigm where soil science and landscape/urban planning work together to provide operational instruments which may be adopted by local communities in addressing soil sealing issues with a proactive approach.

The Clim4Vitis workshop held in Florence was focused on the methodologies used for assessing climate change impacts in viticultural sector. The keynote speakers provided an overview of the methods and tools currently applied for estimating grapevine growth and production.

The identification and classification of agricultural sites with uniform characteristics from a physical point of view, also called zones, or in strict viticulture terms basic terroir units (BTUs), has crucial importance in precision and sustainable agriculture, with positive economic implications. Due to both a greater need to better understand regional-to-site variations in crop production and the growth in spatial analytic technologies, the study of sites or BTU has shifted from a largely descriptive regional science to a more applied, technical research field. The explosion of spatial data availability and sensing technologies has made the within-field scale of study more valuable to the individual grower. The result has been a greater adoption of these technologies, but also issues associated with both the spatial and temporal scales required for practical applications, as well as the relevant approaches for data synthesis. Agricultural zoning procedures applied at different spatial scales (from regional to farm or field scale) enable to support and optimize site-specific planning and management of vineyard agroecosystems. A site-specific management is expected to improve efficiency, while the optimization of agricultural decisions according to the site characteristics is likely to reveal the peculiarities of the product that depend on these characteristics. This management is dynamic, as changing is the environment and the market. There is a need for new multidisciplinary approaches in terroir analysis and zoning, to study soil, plant and climate systems in relation to the characteristics of agricultural products, to explore their resilience to climate change by means of quantitative dynamic and spatial modeling approaches. This work wants to group the results of previous papers of the authors relating to site-specific approach of viticultural terroir zoning

Soil water availability is one of the main determinants of crop yield and of adaptation to a changing climate. The aim of this study was to analyse the soil water regime, as determined by climatic conditions, in combination with the intra-specific biodiversity of yield responses of grapevine to water availability. The adaptability of wine-producing cultivars to future climate was thus assessed. In a region of southern Italy the effects of climate evolution on soil water availability were determined. Through a mechanistic model, simulations of the soil water regime were performed over the study area accounting for spatial variability of soil hydrological properties. Two climate cases were considered: reference (1961-1990) and future (2021-2050). Hydrological indicators were calculated from model outputs. For several wine-producing cultivars, hydrological requirements were determined by means of yield response functions to water availability. Cultivar-specific hydrological requirements were then evaluated against hydrological indicators of soil water availability to assess adaptability, i.e. the probability that a given cultivar attains the target yield under a specific combination of climate and soil conditions. The potential spatial distribution of wine-producing cultivars was thus determined. The future climate was characterized by higher mean temperatures and by a decrease in precipitation. The variability of soil types affected cultivars adaptability. For instance, in the alluvial terraces and alluvial plain environments the soil water availability was higher and the hydrological indicators had quite similar values in both climate cases; therefore, the adaptability of the cultivars did not vary from the reference to the future climate in a large part of these environments.

Climate change in Mediterranean area is likely to reduce precipitation amounts and to increase temperature thus affecting the timing of development stages and the productivity of crops. Further, extreme weather events are expected to increase in the future leading to significant increase in agricultural risk. Some strategies for effectively managing risks and adapting to climate change involve adjustments to irrigation management and use of different varieties. We quantified the risk on Peach production in an irrigated area of "Emilia Romagna" region ( Italy) taking into account the impact on crop yield due to climate change and variability and to extreme weather events as well as the ability of the agricultural system to modulate this impact (adaptive capacity) through changes in water and crop management. We have focused on climatic events causing insufficient water supply to crops, while taking into account the effect of climate on the duration and timing of phenological stages. Further, extreme maximum and minimum temperature events causing significant reduction of crop yield have been considered using phase-specific critical temperatures. In our study risk was assessed as the product of the probability of a damaging event (hazard), such as drought or extreme temperatures, and the estimated impact of such an event (vulnerability). To estimate vulnerability we took into account the possible options to reduce risk, by combining estimates of the sensitivity of the system (negative impact on crop yield) and its adaptive capacity. The latter was evaluated as the relative improvement due to alternate management options: the use of alternate varieties or the changes in irrigation management. Vulnerability was quantified using cultivar-specific thermal and hydrologic requirements of a set of cultivars determined by experimental data and from scientific literature. Critical temperatures determining a certain reduction of crop yield have been estimated and used to assess thermal hazard and vulnerability in sensitive phenological stages. Cultivar-specific yield response functions to water availability were used to assess the reduction of yield for a determinate management option. Downscaled climate scenarios have been used to calculate indicators of soil water availability and thermal times and to evaluate the variability of crop phenology in combination with critical temperatures. Two climate scenarios were considered: reference (1961-90) and future (2021-2050) climate, the former from climatic statistics on observed variables, and the latter from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Management options were defined by combinations of irrigation strategies (optimal, rainfed and deficit) with use of alternate varieties. As regards hydrologic conditions, risk assessment has been done at landscape scale in all soil units within each study area. The mechanistic model SWAP (Soil-Water-Atmosphere-Plant model) of water flow in the soil-plantatmosphere system was used to describe the hydrological conditions in response to climate and irrigation. Different farm management options were evaluated. In a moderate water shortage scenario, deficit irrigation was an effective strategy to cope with climate change risks. In a severe water shortage scenario, the study showed the potentiality of intra-specific biodiversity to reduce risk of yield losses, although costs should be evaluated against the benefits of each specific management option. The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008)

Future climate scenarios predict substantial changes in air temperature within a few decades and agriculture needs to increase the capacity of adaptation both by changing spatial distribution of crops and shifting timing of management. In this context the prediction of future behaviour of crops with respect to present climate could be useful for farm and landscape management. In this work, thermal sums were used to simulate a maize crop in a future scenario, in terms of length of the growing season and of intervals between the main phenological stages. The area under study is the Sele plain (Campania Region), a pedo-climatic homogeneous area, one of the most agriculturally advanced and relevant flatland in Southern Italy. Maize was selected for the present study since it is extensively grown in the Sele Plain for water buffalofeeding,. Daily time-series of climatic data of the area under study were generated within the Italian project AGROSCENARI, and include maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation. The 1961-1990 and the 1998-2008 periods were compared to a future climate scenario (2021-2050). Future time series were generated using a statistical downscaling technique (Tomozeiu et al., 2007) from general circulation models (AOGCM). Differences in crop development length were calculated for different maize varieties under 3 management options for sowing time: custom date (typical for the area), before and after custom date. The interactions between future thermal regime and the length of growing season under the different management options were analyzed. Moreover, frequency of spells of high temperatures during the anthesis was examined. The feasibility of the early sowing option was discussed in relation with field trafficability at the beginning of the crop cycle. The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008)

The Clim4Vitisworkshop held in Florence was focused on the methodologies used for assessing climate change impacts in viticultural sector. The keynote speakers provided an overview of themethods and tools currently applied for estimating grapevine growth and production.&nbsp

The Clim4Vitis workshop held in Florence was focused on the methodologies used for assessing climate change impacts in viticultural sector. The keynote speakers provided an overview of the methods and tools currently applied for estimating grapevine growth and production.

Leaf water potential (LWP) is widely used to assess plant water status and it is commonly used by growers to make immediate crop and water management decisions. However, LWP measurement via direct method presents challenges as it is labour, time intensive and represents leaf-level conditions for sampling of small vineyard block. An alternative approach is using pigment concentration as a proxy for the canopy’s water status. Spectral data methods have been applied to monitor and evaluate crops’ biophysical variables. In this study, a model to predict LWP using via UAS equipped with a VIS-NIR multispectral camera and trained machine learning algorithm, is developed and tested. The model was tested on three dates in 2020 in a commercial vineyard in the Tufo Wine Region. Three modelling approaches (partial least square regression PLSR, support vector machine SVM, artificial neural network ANN) and two input datasets (combining spectral data and spectral vegetation indices) were used to estimate LWP. All approaches predicted LWP-based on spectral data classified from high to low; the results were consistent in direct proportion to the laboratory results and performed the best results. This research shows the potential for estimating LWP at a vineyard scale based on UAS information, represents a good and relatively cheap solution to assess plant status spatial distribution and therefore it could provide a direct way to achieve precise agricultural vineyard.

The pedo-climatic conditions can determine the grape varieties that can be cultivated as well as have deep influence on wine quality. Climate change has already caused significant warming and drought in most grape-growing areas of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean area where viticulture is suffering yield and grape quality reductions due to the increased frequency and duration of drought periods. Ongoing climate change is aggravating some critical issues in the production of the autochthonous grape variety 'Greco' (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. vinifera), widely cultivated in the Campania Region (southern Italy) and used alone or blend in many quality label wines. Nowadays, there is a high risk for the economic sustainability of Greco cultivation due to the following main issues: reduced vine productivity, low selling price of grapes, and territory fragmentation. Such criticisms induce the abandonment of small/medium-sized farms due to either crop conversion or consolidation into larger farms.Although pedo-climatic conditions can affect vineyard productivity and grape quality primarily, the application of adequate cultivation techniques, such as soil and canopy management, can help alleviating the increasing constrains to vineyard sustainability. In the framework of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, Campania Region funded the GREASE project to contribute to the main topic of improving grapevine productivity, resource use efficiency, and resilience for the sustainable management of vineyards.The general objective of Grease project is to improve the potential production of Greco concerns the management of major cultivation practices in viticulture by the realization of a cultivar-specific model for vine canopy and soil management. Optimization of such cultivation factors is important in order to achieve a good vegetative and reproductive balance that enhances grape and wine quality, improves farm profitability and finally provides environmental sustainability. The project is carried out in a Greco experimental vineyard of Feudi di San Gregorio winery in southern Italy (Avellino, Campania region). One of the main activities is to analyse the effect of soil management and vine training systems on the continuum soil-plant-atmosphere system. The growth and the eco-physiological traits of vines were monitored in the main phenological phases by measuring morphological parameters, fertility, leaf gas-exchanges, chlorophyll a fluorescence emission, leaf water potentials, and leaf anatomical characteristics. The meteorological data and soil water content were collected through weather stations and time-domain reflectometry (TDR) technique. Proximal sensing techniques were applied to monitor the whole vineyard performances. The production of each experimental plot was evaluated in terms of chemical characterization of musts and wines in order to assess the treatments-induced changes in oenological traits.The preliminary results of two-years experimental trials are presented to highlighting how the canopy and soil management can influence the vine eco-physiological behavior and productive performance.An increased understanding of how cultivation factors influence the efficient use of available resources in the Greco vineyard will allow know-how transfer to other grapevine productive systems.

Climate-change-driven increasing temperature and frequency of prolonged drought periods are affecting vine growth and physiological behaviour in the Mediterranean region, with consequences on berry yield and quality. In this scenario, there is increasing need to improve the knowledge on how plants react to environmental fluctuations and forecast possible responses to climate changes. Moreover, the plasticity of morpho-functional aspects, on which vine acclimation relies, can vary according to the spatial variability of some environmental factors such as soil properties and microclimate in the vineyard.The objective of this study was to analyse vine growth and production performance in four vineyards of Vitis vinifera L. subsp. vinifera ‘Falanghina’ located in southern Italy (La Guardiense farm, Campania region) subjected to different pedo-climatic conditions but characterized by vines of similar age, training system (double Guyot), spacing (≈ 4545 vines/ha). Climatic parameters were continuously monitored in each of the vineyard, through meteorological stations and FDR probes installed at three soil depths. The vineyard performance was monitored over three years characterized by different climatic conditions. Vine growth and production was monitored during the three years by quantifying morphological and eco-physiological parameters, measured in the main phenological phases, including: plant architecture, fertility, leaf anatomical traits, and grapevine photosynthetic performance through measurements in vivo of leaf gas exchanges and fluorescence chlorophyll emission. The plant nutritional status was characterized by analyzing minerals (anions, cations) and organic acids in leaves and berries. The analysis of stable isotopes in leaves, wood and must was performed to estimate the whole plant water use efficiency. Berry quality was evaluated by measuring soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, malic acid, phenolics, anthocyanins, assimilable nitrogen etc. Microvinifications were also performed to evaluate the variability of oenological traits as well as geomorphology and pedological analyses to assess soil properties. Finally, a retrospective analysis through the analysis of anatomical and isotopic traits in tree-ring series was also carried out to achieve information on the past plant eco-physiological behaviour.The overall analysis of data highlighted that the four vineyards can be grouped into two clusters on the basis of growth and production performance as well as of must quality, due to the spatial variability of soil properties leading to different real water availability for the plants, the different microclimates either exacerbated or mitigated by the different cultivation practices and soil management. The improvement of knowledge about the plasticity of morphofunctional traits in different pedo-climatic contexts can support forecasting future response to climatic stress conditions thus helping the management of vineyards.

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.

In southern Mediterranean areas, vineyards are facing the combination of increasing air temperature, drought and frequency of extreme events (e.g., heat waves) due to climate change. Since most of the berry growth and ripening phases occur during the aridity period, such environmental constraints are responsible for limitations in yield and berry quality. Within this scenario, to achieve vineyard sustainability, renewed approaches in vineyard management have been proposed and the use of plant biostimulants seems a prominent and environmental friendly practice. The aim of this study was to test four combinations of a tropical plant extract and conventional chemicals for disease control on morpho-anatomical, physiological, biochemical and berry quality inVitis viniferaL. subsp.vinifera“Aglianico.” In particular, we aimed to evaluate the possibility to counteract the negative effects of the reductions in copper distribution, by applying the tropical plant extract enriched with: micronutrients, enzymes involved in the activation of natural defense, aminoacids, and vitamins. The halved dose of Cu in combination with the tropical plant extract allowed maintaining a reduced vegetative vigor. In the second year of treatment, the addition of the plant extract significantly improved leaf gas exchanges and photochemistry as well as the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments. At berry level, the plant extract induced an increase in phenolics accompanied by a decrease in soluble sugars. The overall results showed that the expected differences in growth performance and productivity in vines are linked to different eco-physiological and structural properties induced by the various treatments. The tropical plant extract also primed plant defenses at the leaf and fruit levels, mainly due to modifications of some structural and biochemical traits, respectively.

Water deficit limiting yields is one of the negative aspects of climate change. However, this applies particularly when emphasis is on biomass production (e.g. for field crops), but not necessarily for plants where quality, not quantity is most relevant. For grapevine development, mild water stress occurring during specific phenological phases is an important factor when producing good quality wines. It induces the production of anthocyanins and aroma precursors and then could offer an opportunity to increase winegrower's income. A multidisciplinary study was carried out in Campania region (Southern Italy), an area well known for high quality wine production. Growth of Aglianico grapevine cultivar, with a standard clone population on 1103 Paulsen rootstocks, was studied on two different types of soil: Calcisols and Cambisols occurring along a slope of 90 m length with 11% gradient. The agro-hydrological model SWAP was calibrated and applied to estimate soil-plant water status during three consecutive seasons (2011–2013). Crop water stress index (CWSI), as estimated by the model, was related to leaf water potential, sugar content of grape bunches and wine quality (e.g. content of tannins). For both soils, the correlations between quality measurements and CWSI were high (e.g. − 0.97** with sugar; 0.895* with anthocyanins in the grape skins). The model was also applied to explore effects of future climate conditions (2021–2051) obtained from statistical downscaling of Global Circulation Models (AOGCM) and to estimate the effect of the climate on CWSI and hence on grape quality. Effects of climate change on grape quality indicate: (i) a resilient behavior of Calcisol to produce high quality wine, (ii) a good potentiality for improving the quality wine in Cambisol. The present study represents an example of multidisciplinary approach in which soil scientists, hydro-pedologists, crop modellers, plant physiologists and oenologists have integrated their knowledge and skills in order to deal with the complex interactions among different components of an agricultural system.

Soil sealing is considered among the most dangerous of land degradation processes on global, European and national scales. Despite important policy documents aiming to mitigate this soil threat, it currently shows no signs of abating, and current efforts often do not result in appropriate implementation of soil sealing mitigation in spatial planning, which represents the subject area governing soil sealing. In this paper, we show a spatial decision support system - based on a Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure - with the aim of applying it as an operational instrument aiming towards soil sealing mitigation. The system has the ambition to impact on those who take decision over soil sealing; typically, these are not agriculture experts but rather spatial planners. This tool, focusing on mitigating such crucial land degradation, allows the users - via the Web - to produce 'what-if' land planning scenarios thanks to the 'on-the-fly' modelling engines. Therefore, integrated geospatial quantitative data and procedures may be directly and freely used by planners. The tool has been applied to and tested in an area in the South of Italy. Results from two applications are reported: one addressing municipal planning and the other on a more detailed spatial scale. Furthermore, results include quantification of rural fragmentation, loss of soil ecosystem services and an estimate of soil sealing evolution over time. The tool was developed with the help of end users and indirectly explores a change of paradigm where soil science and landscape/urban planning work together to provide operational instruments that may be adopted by local communities in addressing soil sealing issues with a proactive approach.