Minority grapevine varieties as climate change adaptation strategy: Exploring heat tolerance plasticity

Abstract

Climate change is increasing average temperatures and intensity and frequency of extreme events such as heat waves. Productivity declines and plant damage due to those changes are already described for several majority varieties, especially in the Mediterranean basin. Less explored minority varieties can arise as alternatives due high heat tolerance, or for having high acclimation potential to heat. We evaluated the heat tolerance after acclimation in three summer thermic environments of four Spanish varieties: two majority (‘Tempranillo’, ‘Airén’) and two minority (‘Jarrosuelto’, ‘Morate’). Summer thermic environments differed in average temperature, and length of the warm period. Varieties differed in heat tolerance and its plasticity due to the acclimation to the environments. Within the majority varieties, ‘Tempranillo’ showed low heat tolerance and moderate plasticity in heat tolerance highlighting its susceptibility to climate change. ‘Airén’ had slightly higher tolerance than ‘Tempranillo’ and certain adaptation capacity to environments. Within the minority, ‘Jarrosuelto’ had high tolerance to heat events but low heat tolerance plasticity. ‘Morate’ was the variety with highest heat tolerance plasticity, indicating its strong adaptive potential. Majority varieties displayed susceptibility to heat events and global warming negative effects. However, minority varieties can offer solutions either by having high tolerance to heat or by having high acclimation.

Genotypic and Sanitary Characterization of Minority Grapevine Varieties Prospected in Andalusia, Spain

“…In this study, we show a methodology for approaching the initial steps necessary to increase the pool of cultivated grape varieties and clones in a given area. Multiple goals could be pursued: (a) to add a commercial variety to the list of authorized ones in a given region; (b) to recognize new synonymies of already authorized varieties and have available new local clones that are sanitary guaranteed; (c) to recover old varieties, possibly described in the past, that are very well adapted in a given ecosystem; (d) to discover new autochthonous varieties that could provide the basis for climate change adaptation in a given area [6]. Here, we present the results of surveys of minority varieties carried out on 98 specimens in six wine-producing areas spanning Andalusia (Figure 1).…”