Academic Year 2022/2023

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies (cod. 9235)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student achieves the understanding on the main wine varieties and on the main topics of wine grape starting from the grapevine functions to the development processes of the annual cycle and berry ripening and their interaction with soil, climatic and management factors. The student achieves as well the ability to evaluate scientific information to choose and to adopt the best management techniques, according the environmental conditions and the enological targets.

Course contents

The course is developing in 6 teaching units :

1) Vegetative and reproductive vine cycles. Flower induction, flowering and berry set. Grape berry development and ripening process, evolution of grape berry composition relevant to winemaking (sugars, acids, polyphenols, aromas). Lecture unit: 6 hours. Practice exercise Unit in the field checking phenological phases: 4 hours.

2) Grape propagation. Grafting. Variety and rootstock: origin of the cultivars. Peculiar aspects of breeding in grape: methods, objectives and results. Clonal selection. Methods for grape cultivars characterization. Lecture unit: 6 hours. Practice exercise Unit in the field on grafting and varietal identification : 4 hours.

3) Vineyard planting: planting density and soil management techniques. Lecture unit: 6 hours. Practice exercise Unit on the in the field on soil management technique : 4 hours.

4) Winter pruning in young and adult vines: physiological principles and technical application. Training systems. Canopy management and summer pruning: trimming, leaf removal, cluster thinning. Source-sink relation. Lecture unit: 6 hours. Practice exercise Unit in the field on pruning : 4 hours.

5) Water and nutrition grape needed in different phenological stages. Lecture unit: 6 hours. Practice exercise Unit in the field: 4 hours.

6) Harvest and winter and summer pruning mechanization. Precision Viticulture. Lecture unit: 6 hours. Practice exercise Unit in the field: 4 hours.

Readings/Bibliography

Iland P., Dry P., Proffitt T., Rolley L., Wilkes E. The Grapevine: From the Science to the Practice of Growing Vines for Wine Hardcover – November, 2011

Palliotti, Poni, Silvestroni. Manuale di viticoltura. Edagricole, 2018.

Palliotti, Poni, Silvestroni. La nuova viticoltura. Edagricole. 2015.

Winkler et al. General Viticulture. University of California Press, 1974. Chapter selected by the teacher

Scientific papers distributed by the teacher

Teaching methods

Lectures are supported by pc slides and by discussion of the different topics.

Assessment methods

The final exam is oral and aims to verify the acquisition of the knowledge of the topics analyzed during the course.

During the exam the student will explain the topics developed during the course that are present un the suggested bibliography and in the note from the class. In particular the discussion will develop through at least three questions and the exam will last over 30 minutes. The evaluation will be based on following criteria:(i) knowledge, comprehension and in-depth analyses of each topic; (ii) critic and expositive skills (iii) proper technical scientific language. The maximum scoring of the oral exam may be of 30, eventually with honor. Lack of knowledge and /or inappropriate language, despite in a contest of basic knowledge of the material of the exam, will lead to an insufficient mark.

The exam data are established according the range defined by the Course meeting and the students may book for the oral exam exclusively the application on Alma Esami . https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm.

In case of special needs, the students may contact the teacher to plan an extra exam.

Teaching tools

The lessons are supported by training time in the experimental vineyard of the Agricultural Farm of the University to observe the vine morphology and different vineyard management techniques (training systems, canopy management, soil management). Visits on nursery and private vineyards are also planned

Office hours

See the website of Ilaria Filippetti

SDGs

Responsible consumption and production Climate Action

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.