Located in Emilia, the InVite project investigates new technologies for reducing vineyard inputs and increasing viticulture resilience to climate change issues. In northwestern Italy, hillside non-irrigated vineyards are severely exposed to the impacts of drought and warming trends. In this context, the project team will test the efficacy of new water-retaining polymers (hydrogels) in preserving soil water storage. Within the project, different hydrogels formulations will be tested under varying environmental conditions, in newly established vineyards and in mature productive sites. Hydrogels will be also be tested for the reduction of nitrogen-based fertilizers application. Finally, new co-formulates efficacy in increasing permanence on canopies of foliarly applied products will be verified.
The results of the project include the setting up new protocols and vineyard management systems for both organic and integrated production that can be expected to:
- Increase local wine industry resilience to drought, by reducing plant mortality of newly established vineyards and preserving yields in mature productive vineyards;
- Reduce nitrogen inputs in vineyards and nitrates dispersion into water bodies, by increasing the fraction of nitrogen resistant to leaching;
- Drive down inputs and avoid copper accumulation in soils.
InVite is coordinated by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Viticulture, partners are Vinidea, Centro di Formazione Vittorio Tadini, Azienda Agricola Lusignani, Azienda Agricola Fabrizio Camorali, Azienda Agricola Baraccone. The project is funded by PSR Emilia-Romagna 2014-2020, Measure 16.1, FA4B, Call 2022.
