Mycorrhizal Fungi Enhance Yield and Berry Chemical Composition of in Field Grown “Cabernet Sauvignon” Grapevines (V. vinifera L.)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the application of mycorrhizal fungal inoculum on “Cabernet Sauvignon” (Vitis vinifera L.) leaf gas exchange, yield parameters, as well as grape berry composition, especially regarding phenolic compounds. The experiment was conducted over two years under natural vineyard conditions of the Zagreb wine-growing area, the continental region of Croatia. “Cabernet Sauvignon” grapevines were grafted on SO4 rootstock, both being commonly used in all wine production areas in Croatia. Results obtained demonstrated that symbiotic grapevines, in general, expressed improved leaf gas exchange parameters and higher yield parameters, especially regarding the number of clusters per vine. It should be emphasized that mycorrhizal fungi affected higher total flavan-3-ols, total anthocyanins, and total polyphenols in berry skin in both experimental years. Despite variation in some yield parameters, generally, it is possible to obtain higher yields together with the improved phenolic composition of grapes.

Malus Antioxidant Metabolism Following Bacterial–Fungal Inoculation in Organic Farming: From Root to Fruit

“…Health-promoting and protecting attributes of phytochemicals in edible horticultural crops have also led to an intensive search for different ways of increasing their contents. One promising approach in sustainable intensification seems to be the use of microorganism-based products called biofertilizers/biostimulants [7,10,13,28].…”

“…Of three inocula used, only one increased the phenolic concentrations in apples [14]. Mycorrhizal inoculum resulted in an increase in total flavanols, total anthocyanins, and total polyphenols in berry skin (Vitis vinifera L.) in two experimental years [28].…”

“…A plant antioxidant defense network influenced by PGPR and/or fungal inoculum can be both enzymatic and/or non-enzymatic in nature, with a direct effect on the plant chemical composition [12,[25][26][27]. Furthermore, activation of the secondary metabolism by microorganisms may have an additional effect on the internal quality of the final products, including a greater quantity of healthpromoting phytochemicals such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamins, phytoestrogens, and carotenoids [2,7,13,28]. The potential role of AMF in maintaining fruit quality in future climate change scenarios has also been discussed [29].…”

“…Only a small number of cultivars have been analysed in these studies, despite cultivated species being characterized by a great number of cultivars with a high variation in internal quality traits that, in turn, are subject to the influence of several external factors [31,32]. Very little data in the literature can be found on fruit nutraceuticals due to the biofertilizer used [28] including apple [7,14], whereas the diversity and content of phytochemicals in plant products are affected by different variables [32], such as plant genotype, weather, and agronomic factors (management, soil mineral nutrients, drought, salinity, harvest season, and agrochemicals). Hence, research on microorganisms' mechanism of action and their impact on the quality of horticultural products is still deficient and at times contradictory.…”

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Improve Growth, Photosynthetic Activity, and Chlorophyll Fluorescence of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Ecolly under Drought Stress

“…The effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on photosynthesis differed by rootstock. Marko Karoglan et al [25] assessed the influence of the application of mycorrhizal fungal inoculum on 'Cabernet Sauvignon' leaf gas exchange and concluded that inoculated grapevines expressed improved leaf gas-exchange parameters in general.…”