Open research questions in Horticultural and Viticultural Research

What the literature leaves open

• High within-treatment variation among samples. Non-significant PERMANOVA results. The need to minimize confounding results due to mixed infections and/or abiotic stress.

  Evaluating early detection of grapevine trunk diseases from asymptomatic leaves based on hyperspectral imagery · 2026 · DOI

• the study was conducted in a greenhouse, - the incubation period exceeds the 6 to 8 months grapevines are grown in the nursery, - limited options for curative management of trunk diseases

  Evaluating early detection of grapevine trunk diseases from asymptomatic leaves based on hyperspectral imagery · 2026 · DOI

• One of the challenges is the development of sustainable disease management strategies that can replace or complement synthetic fungicides. Another challenge is the need to evaluate the efficacy of basil essential oil in reducing disease severity and enhancing defence-related metabolic responses. The study also faces the challenge of optimizing the application method and concentration of basil essential oil for maximum effectiveness.

  In Vivo Control of Botrytis cinerea in Grapevine Using Essential Oil from Sweet Basil Cultivated Under Ozonated Water Irrigation · 2026 · DOI

• The extensive use of synthetic fungicides has raised concerns regarding environmental contamination and the emergence of resistant populations. There is a need for sustainable alternative or complementary disease management strategies, particularly within Integrated Pest Management and organic viticulture systems.

  In Vivo Control of Botrytis cinerea in Grapevine Using Essential Oil from Sweet Basil Cultivated Under Ozonated Water Irrigation · 2026 · DOI

• ) each year, yet the genetics underlying grafting success rate remain poorly understood.

  Sixteen thousand grafts reveal limited scion genetic control of grapevine bench-grafting success · 2026 · DOI

• Rootstocks are essential in supporting grapevine water uptake and drought resilience; however, their physiological responses to water stress are not fully understood.

  Implications of root morphology and anatomy for water deficit tolerance and recovery of grapevine rootstocks · 2025 · DOI

• While exogenous putrescine applications have shown potential in enhancing plant defense responses against various environmental stresses, their efficacy in modulating lime stress has not been previously explored.

  Exogenous putrescine enhances lime stress tolerance in grapevine rootstock-scion combinations · 2025 · DOI

• The fruit peel serves as the frontline defense of grapes against pathogens like Botrytis cinerea, yet its defense mechanisms remain poorly understood.

  Deciphering Grape Berry Peel Resistance to Botrytis cinerea: A Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Perspective · 2025 · DOI

• A promising but understudied strategy is varietal selection, as grapevines exhibit vast intervarietal diversity with untapped potential for climate-resilient varieties.

  Adaptation to Climate Change in Viticulture: The Role of Varietal Selection—A Review · 2025 · DOI

• Yet, what architectural and productive features are important, how they work and whether they are interrelated remains elusive.

  Cultivar ideotype for intensive olive orchards: plant vigor, biomass partitioning, tree architecture and fruiting characteristics · 2024 · DOI

• Recently, few studies have addressed this topic, suggesting that tree architecture and early bearing are essential traits.

  Cultivar ideotype for intensive olive orchards: plant vigor, biomass partitioning, tree architecture and fruiting characteristics · 2024 · DOI

• The influence of terroir on grape berries and wine has garnered increasing attention, yet its comprehensive regulatory network remains underexplored.

  The molecular basis of flavonoid biosynthesis response to water, light, and temperature in grape berries · 2024 · DOI

• However, unlike other agronomic traits, the genetic basis of physical and chemical kernel quality traits has been poorly investigated.

  QTL mapping of almond kernel quality traits in the F1 progeny of ‘Marcona’ × ‘Marinada’ · 2024 · DOI

• However, the effects of how Pro-Ca regulates the regulation of sugar and acid balance and its impact on the production of volatile aroma substances during fruit growth and development are poorly understood.

  Prohexadione-calcium improves grape quality by regulating endogenous hormones, sugar and acid metabolism and related enzyme activities in grape berries · 2024 · DOI

• Local germplasm has been characterised by microsatellite markers, but a detailed analysis based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is still lacking.

  Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis reveals ancestry and genetic diversity of cultivated and wild grapevines in Croatia · 2024 · DOI

• In this connection, the main functions of core taxa fungi, whose role in the vineyard environment is still poorly understood, are also described.

  Diversity of fungal communities on Cabernet and Aglianico grapes from vineyards located in Southern Italy · 2024 · DOI

• However, the development of seeds involved intricate regulations, and the polygenic basis of seed abortion remains unclear.

  Integrative genomics reveals the polygenic basis of seedlessness in grapevine · 2024 · DOI

• It remains unclear whether DNA methylation is associated with ABA-regulated ripening.

  Abscisic Acid Induces DNA Methylation Alteration in Genes Related to Berry Ripening and Stress Response in Grape (Vitis vinifera L) · 2024 · DOI

• Further study of the genetic basis of root-shoot communication. Exploration of the potential of rootstock breeding to improve plant adaptation to environmental conditions.

  Genome-wide association study of water-use efficiency and shoot biomass conferred by V. berlandieri rootstocks in grapevine · 2026 · DOI

• The genetic control of rootstocks on scion traits has rarely been explored. The study aims to fill this gap by identifying genetic regions associated with water-use efficiency and shoot biomass.

  Genome-wide association study of water-use efficiency and shoot biomass conferred by V. berlandieri rootstocks in grapevine · 2026 · DOI

• This study highlights the role of rootstock–scion interactions in shaping grapevine responses to controlled water deficit, revealing genotype-dependent differences in early molecular responsiveness across grafting combinations. Differences in transcriptional responses suggest that combinations vary in their molecular sensitivity to water limitation. Coordinated modulation of hormonal Maggiolini et al. BMC Plant Biology (2026) 26:891 Page 18 of 20 signaling, aquaporins, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and cytoskeletal components indicates the complexity of regulatory networks underlying early water-deficit responses. Notably, the combined modulation of cytoskeletal genes and aquaporins represents a relatively underexplored aspect of scion–rootstock interactions under reduced water availability. Unlike most previous studies focusing on established cultivars, this work evaluates newly selected table grape genotypes across different rootstock combinations during early selection stages. The candidate genes identified (Table 2; Supplementary Figs. 5 and 6) represent potential molecular markers for discriminating scion– rootstock combinations based on their sensitivity to reduced irrigation, providing a useful framework for breeding programs aimed at optimizing table grape performance under moderate water limitation. Notably, the two scion genotypes displayed distinct transcriptional responsiveness patterns: Maula generally showed stronger transcriptional reprogramming under reduced irrigation, whereas Genusia exhibited comparatively moderated responses. These results suggest that scion– rootstock combinations may differ in their molecular sensitivity thresholds to irrigation reduction. More broadly, this study shows how transcriptomic profiling can complement physiological screening to support early evaluation of scion–rootstock combinations in table grape breeding. Future studies integrating transcriptomic data with physiological analyses and field validation will be essential to support the development of climate-resilient grapevine cultivars under variable water availability. number of enriched genes. Supplementary Material 4: Supplementary Figure 4. Gene Ontology enrichment between genotypes. A. GO enrichment analysis of DEGs at WS in Maula compared to Genusia grafted on 1103P; B. GO enrichment analysis of DEGs at WS in Maula compared to Genusia grafted on SO4. For each functional category (BP= Biological process; CC=Cellular component; MF= molecular function) Down-regulated genes and up-regulated genes are reported by green and red bars respectively. The length of each bar is proportional to the number of enriched genes. Supplementary Material 5: Supplementary Figure 5. Plant hormone signalling pathway- vvi04075.

  Scion-Rootstock interactions shape early transcriptional responses to controlled water deficit in newly selected table grape genotypes · 2026 · DOI

• The study only considered a limited number of grape cultivars. The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment. The study did not investigate the long-term effects of GA3 treatment.

  Effect of Applying GA3 Treatment on Vitis vinifera Agronomical Traits and Embryo Germination Rate · 2026 · DOI

• The mechanisms of seedlessness in Vitis vinifera are not fully understood. The effect of GA3 treatment on grape berry formation and phenological characteristics is not well studied. There is a need to investigate the potential of GA3 treatment to induce seedlessness in grape berries.

  Effect of Applying GA3 Treatment on Vitis vinifera Agronomical Traits and Embryo Germination Rate · 2026 · DOI

• Drought is a major abiotic factor that limits crop productivity. Plants have evolved adaptive mechanisms to cope with water stress. The concept of isohydric and anisohydric plants remains controversial.

  Conserved stomatal regulation across winegrape cultivars challenges conclusions regarding hydraulic strategies · 2026 · DOI

• The concept of isohydric and anisohydric plants remains controversial. There is a need to examine the stomatal behavior of winegrape cultivars under controlled irrigation.

  Conserved stomatal regulation across winegrape cultivars challenges conclusions regarding hydraulic strategies · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Horticultural and Viticultural Research

• The grapevine genome sequence suggests ancestral hexaploidization in major angiosperm phyla · Nature · 2007 · 3,245 citations
• An overview of climate change impacts on European viticulture · Food and Energy Security · 2012 · 266 citations
• Dual domestications and origin of traits in grapevine evolution · Science · 2023 · 261 citations
• The complete reference genome for grapevine (Vitis viniferaL.) genetics and breeding · Horticulture Research · 2023 · 255 citations
• Grapefruit–medication interactions: Forbidden fruit or avoidable consequences? · Canadian Medical Association Journal · 2012 · 239 citations
• Two divergent haplotypes from a highly heterozygous lychee genome suggest independent domestication events for early and late-maturing cultivars · Nature Genetics · 2022 · 239 citations
• Changes in the composition of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of grapevine roots and leaves (Vitis vinifera L.) under continuous of long-term drought stress · Acta Physiologiae Plantarum · 2014 · 229 citations
• Drug Interactions with Grapefruit Juice · Drug Safety · 1998 · 195 citations
• In vitro remineralization effects of grape seed extract on artificial root caries · Journal of Dentistry · 2008 · 157 citations
• Hearing it through the grapevine · Organizational Dynamics · 2012 · 147 citations

Most recent work

• Seasonal growth and gas exchange of conventionally and minimally pruned Chardonnay canopies · Julius Kühn-Institut · 2026
• Enhancing the yield and berry color of crimson seedless table grape variety (Vitis vinifera L.) via zinc oxide nanoparticles integrated with molasses · BMC Plant Biology · 2026
• Evolutionary forecast of vineyard yield in a mediterranean climate: A multi-temporal machine learning approach in Cádiz, Spain · Precision Agriculture · 2026
• Multiple Geographic Breakdown Events of the Rpv1 – Rpv3.1 Pyramided Resistance in Grapevine by Plasmopara viticola · Plant Disease · 2026
• Shading Nets Modified Cluster-Zone Radiation, Bunch Sunburn Percentage and Berry Amino Acid Content in Cabernet Sauvignon: A Preliminary Study · Plants · 2026
• Investigation of carotenoids and C13-norisoprenoids dynamics in developing grapes of Vitis vinifera cv. Blaufränkisch under varying sunlight exposure · OENO One · 2026
• Conservation gap analysis for wild grapevines ( Vitis L.) of the Americas · Plants People Planet · 2026
• Genome-wide association study of water-use efficiency and shoot biomass conferred by V. berlandieri rootstocks in grapevine · BMC Plant Biology · 2026
• Scion-Rootstock interactions shape early transcriptional responses to controlled water deficit in newly selected table grape genotypes · BMC Plant Biology · 2026
• Effect of Applying GA3 Treatment on Vitis vinifera Agronomical Traits and Embryo Germination Rate · Advances in Biology & Earth Sciences · 2026

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