Marco Sandrini
Sustainable approaches to improve microbial biodiversity in the vineyard.
Supervisor: Prof Walter Chitarra; Dott. Luca Nerva.
Among all the different cultural systems, viticulture is considered one of the most treated cropping systems, with an intensive fungicide treatments schedule used to control the spread of pathogens. Due to this large use of chemical input, the microbial biodiversity in vineyard is often subject to negative selection pressure which leads to its weakening and drop. In light of this, we have to look for new sustainable strategies against pathogens by improving microbial biodiversity, favouring the beneficial ones and reducing the accumulation of pathogen-related species. Firstly, I started to characterize and study some beneficial microbes previously isolated from grapevine tissues. It is worth noting that, despite several commercially available microbe-based products for the grapevine protection, only few of them use microbes which were directly isolated from vines. This aspect is important to maximize the interaction between the microbes and the host: if we select an isolate which is already adapted to a specific ecological niche it will be potentially more efficient in performing its activity. I’m also evaluating the possibility to combine the application of regenerative agricultural approaches (mainly focusing the attention on soil) with the inoculation of beneficial microbes at the vineyard onset. In addition, I will assess the possibilities to adapt and set-up in grapevine the recently discovered technologies (using molecular and biological tools) as defence approaches against biotic and abiotic stresses. For example, the possibility to achieve the priming state through the application of nature-based products and/or the application of spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) technology as sustainable defence strategies is of great interest to improve resilience against stressful factors in grapevine. All the aspects that will be developed along the PhD period will in some way deal with the nutritional status of the plant, the physiological performances and the interaction with the surrounding microbiomes.
Biography and Contacts:
MS was born in Brescia, Italy, on 01/12/1994. In 2017 he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Technologies at Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna (Italy). In September 2020 he obtained his master’s degree in Viticulture, Enology and Wine Marketing with the specialization in research and development in viticulture with a final grade of 110/110 cum laude at the University of Udine.
In November 2020 he started the doctoral course at the PhD school of “Agriculture Science and Biotechnology” at the University of Udine.