PROJECT

Grapevine is one of the most economically important crops worldwide and viticulture has evolved towards intensive production systems, exploiting chemical inputs to manage soil fertility and plant protection. However, the overuse of chemical fertilizers combined with the limited use of amendments is leading to a significant decrease in soil fertility. Concerns about the negative effects deriving from inappropriate agronomic management have been recently amplified by climate change.  To overcome these issues, research efforts must be aimed at developing sustainable agronomic techniques able to make vineyards less dependent on chemical inputs and more resilient to stressing environmental conditions. In recent years, the use of compost has been strongly promoted by several National policies to improve fertilization management, while recycling nutrients from manures and other wastes. In addition, soils of agroecosystems, especially if degraded by intensive agricultural practices, are severely depleted of their organic carbon (C) pools having, as a consequence, potential high sink C capacity. The supply of organic amendments in vineyards could, consequently, increased C sequestration thus meeting one of the milestone of the European Commission regarding CO₂ emission. Among different organic matrices available for compost production, the use of vineyard and cellar by-products may contribute to fulfill the circular economy paradigm in wine production. Currently, research efforts have demonstrated that compost application can bring undeniable advantages to cultivations and soil from an agronomic standpoint; nevertheless, the understanding of plant molecular responses to compost application, and the influence of compost on soil and plant-associated microbiota, is still elusive.