Walter Chitarra | International University College of Turin (IUC) (original) (raw)

Walter Chitarra

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Papers by Walter Chitarra

Scientific Reports, Feb 2, 2016

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Jan 19, 2022

Applied Soil Ecology, Oct 1, 2013

The Journal of Agricultural Science, Mar 9, 2018

New Phytologist, Nov 11, 2016

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Sep 14, 2021

Pest Management Science, Mar 18, 2022

BACKGROUNDReduction of fungicide consumption in agriculture is globally recognized as a priority.... more BACKGROUNDReduction of fungicide consumption in agriculture is globally recognized as a priority. Government authorities are fostering research to achieve a reduction of risks associated with conventional pesticides and promoting the development of sustainable alternatives. To address these issues, in the present study, alternative protocols for the control of downy mildew infection in grapevine were compared to the standard protocol. In the first protocol, only resistance inducers were used, comprising a single formulation with Acibenzolar S‐methyl, laminarin and disodium‐phosphonate. The second and third protocols followed the standard protocol but substituted phosphonates with phosphorus pentoxide and Ecklonia maxima extract.RESULTSThe results showed that at veraison downy mildew incidence and severity in all tested protocols were significantly reduced compared to nontreated controls on both canopy and bunches. Expression analysis of key genes involved in plant stress response, indicated that the two protocols for phosphites substitution induced a remodulation of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), with positive impact on yields. Analysis of the first protocol revealed that the primed state induced a short delay in bunch ripening, with a shift of carbohydrate metabolism to boost the plant defences, involving an upregulation of defence related‐gene, SAR response and a decreased ROS detoxification. Additionally, analysis on the arthropods populations, in parallel with the positive results achieved using alternatives to conventional fungicides, were enriched by those showing the potential of naturally occurring predators of spider mites.CONCLUSIONThis study provides practical solutions to reduce the environmental impact of treatments for the control downy mildew in viticulture. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.