Open Access
Evaluation of the agronomic performance of 'Syrah' and 'Tempranillo' when grafted on 12 rootstocks
(Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), 2019) Marín Ederra, Diana; García, R.; Eraso Zabalegui, Javier; Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Royo Díaz, José Bernardo; Abad Zamora, Francisco Javier; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Beyond pest resistance, rootstocks significantly influence the performance of grapevine varieties. However, the effect of the rootstock is strongly affected by its interaction with the environment, and it is therefore necessary to evaluate their influence in a particular terroir. With the aim of evaluating the influence of 12 rootstocks on the agronomic performance of 'Syrah' and 'Tempranillo', a trial was established in 2011 and 2012 in Miranda de Arga (Navarra, Spain), under the typical environmental conditions of the Ebro Valley. Growth and yield, as well as industrial and phenolic maturity parameters were analysed during four consecutive seasons (2015-2018). Most rootstocks showed a similar performance with both varieties, not always following the trends reported in bibliography, which highlights the relevance of studying rootstocks in different conditions. 3309 C was the rootstock conferring the highest vigour, whereas the lowest were provided by 420 A MGt and 'Fercal'. The implications on grape composition were much more diverse, and were partially conditioned by yield. Results were obtained during the four first harvests of the vineyard, and could therefore change to some extent as the vineyard reaches stability.
Open Access
Integration of expert knowledge in the definition of Swiss pear core collection
(Nature Research, 2019) Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Kägi, C.; Bühlmann, A.; Gassmann, Jennifer; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Frey, Juerg E.; Kellerhals, Markus; Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura
Core collections (CCs) constitute a key tool for the characterization and management of genetic resources (GR). When the institutions involved in GR preservation decide to define a CC, they frequently prefer to select accessions based not only on strictly objective criteria, but also to add others following expert knowledge considerations (popularity, prestige, role in breeding history, or presence of phenotypic features of interest). The aim of this study was to evaluate the implications of approaches that combine formal analytical procedures and expert knowledge on the efficiency of CC definition through a case study to establish a pear CC from the Swiss National Pear Inventory. The CC had to represent a maximum of the genetic diversity, not to exceed 150 accessions, and required to include a priority set (SPPS) with 86 genotypes selected based on expert knowledge. In total, nine strategies were evaluated, resulting of combining compositions of the dataset sampled, sampling sizes and methods. The CCs sampled by mixed approaches provided similar scores, irrespective of the approach considered, and obtained similar efficiency in optimizing the genetic diversity retained. Therefore, mixed approaches can be an appropriate choice for applications involving genetic conservation in tree germplasm collections.
Open Access
Agronomic evaluation of eight 41 B × 110 richter grapevine genotypes as rootstock candidates for mediterranean viticulture
(KeAi Communications, 2023) Marín Ederra, Diana; Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Abad Zamora, Francisco Javier; Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Mayor Azcona, Blanca; Villa Llop, Ana; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Choosing the most appropriate rootstock(s) is a key decision for the profitability of vineyards; therefore, there must be a sufficient range of rootstocks in the market adapted to different environmental conditions and production objectives. However, rootstock-breeding programs have been scarce in recent decades, and most of the rootstocks used today were bred a century ago, when the needs of the sector were very different from today. In this work, we aimed to evaluate new rootstock candidates before their introduction in the market. An agronomic evaluation was conducted on eight novel rootstock genotypes obtained from the first generation of the cross-pollination of 41 B Millardet et de Grasset (41 B) and 110 Richter (110 R) grafted with ‘Syrah’ and ‘Tempranillo’ and planted in a typical vineyard of the Ebro Valley in Spain. During the four consecutive growing seasons (2016e2019), growth, yield and berry composition parameters at harvest were collected. A linear mixedeffects model was constructed, considering year and block as random effects. Multiple factor analysis and hierarchical clustering on principal components were performed to establish clusters of genotypes with similar behaviour. The rootstock candidates showed a very wide performance range compared to their parents. The trial allowed us to identify two very promising candidates (RG8 and RG10), whose registration as commercial rootstocks is already in progress.
Open Access
Guía de buenas prácticas para la elección del material de plantación de un viñedo
(2023) García García, Rafael; Eraso Zabalegui, Javier; Villa Llop, Ana; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Crespo Martínez, Sara; Gambra, Alberto; Palacios Muruzábal, Julián; Sebastián Caumel, Bárbara; Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación
Esta es una guía gráfica sobre la elección del material vegetal para la plantación de un viñedo. Mediante vídeos sencillos se explican factores agronómicos claves a tener en cuenta antes de realizar una plantación, además de nociones básicas que se deben conocer para la elección del material vegetal. Hemos estructurado esta Guía en tres bloques, partiendo del objetivo principal que es la obtención de un viñedo equi- librado, siguiendo con la explicación de las distintas calida- des genéticas que se pueden elegir a la hora de comprar el material vegetal; y concluyendo con vídeos sobre la calidad fisiológica de la planta y cómo comprobarla. Con los últimos vídeos, más científicos, queremos explicar qué sucede a nivel celular en la zona del punto de injerto para que las conexiones vasculares se puedan generar. Los aspectos clave a destacar a la hora de la elección del material vegetal serían: • Saber medir/cuantificar las cualidades y limitaciones de la parcela. • Conocer el abanico de posibilidades en cuanto al material genético disponible. • Saber comprobar la calidad fisiológica del material vegetal. Y fundamental para realizar una plantación con éxito, es tener la máxima información posible como mínimo un año antes de realizar la plantación del viñedo.
Open Access
Sampling stratification using aerial imagery to estimate fruit load in peach tree orchards
(MDPI, 2018) Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Loidi Erviti, Maite; Royo Díaz, José Bernardo; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura
A quick and accurate sampling method for determining yield in peach orchards could lead to better crop management decisions, more accurate insurance claim adjustment, and reduced expenses for the insurance industry. Given that sample size depends exclusively on the variability of the trees on the orchard, it is necessary to have a quick and objective way of assessing this variability. The aim of this study was to use remote sensing to detect the spatial variability within peach orchards and classify trees into homogeneous zones that constitute sampling strata to decrease sample size. Five mature peach orchards with different degrees of spatial variability were used. A regular grid of trees was established on each orchard, their trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) was measured, and yield was measured as number of fruits/tree on the central tree of each one of them. Red Vegetation Index (RVI) was calculated from aerial images with 0.25 m pixel -1 resolution, and used, either alone or in combination with TCSA, to delineate sampling strata using cluster fuzzy k-means. Completely randomized (CRS) and stratified samplings were compared through 10,000 iterations, and the Minimum Sample Size required to obtain estimates of actual production for three quality levels of sampling was calculated in each case. The images allowed accurate determination of the number of trees, allowing a proper application of completely randomized sampling designs. Tree size and the canopy density estimated by means of multispectral indices are complementary parameters suitable for orchard stratification, decreasing the sample size required to determine fruit count up to 20–35% compared to completely randomized samples.
Open Access
Recovery of ancient grapevine plant material in peri‑urban areas. A case of success in Pamplona (Spain) leading to the recovery of cv. Berués
(Elsevier, 2022) Crespo Martínez, Sara; Mayor Azcona, Blanca; Oneka Mugica, Oihane; Loidi Erviti, Maite; Villa Llop, Ana; Marín Ederra, Diana; Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Viticulture was relatively important in the peri‑urban area of Pamplona till the end of the 19th century, but suffered a continued regression that has led to a nearly complete disappearance of vineyards. In this context, this work aims to evaluate the feasibility of recovering old grapevine germplasm in the peri‑urban area of Pamplona. The lack of a conventional source for recovering plant material (i.e. absence of old vineyards in the area) implied the need of designing an alternative prospecting procedure. This method included the analysis of the available historical information as open-access resources (orthophotos, land use maps and GIS applications) aiming to identify the areas with the highest probability of finding vines surviving from the general abandonment and uprooting of vineyards that had occurred in the 20th century. Based on the oldest on scale orthophoto available for Navarra, a vineyard land map of the peri‑urban area of Pamplona in year 1956 was built, allowing prospecting efforts to be focused on specific areas of primarily interest. Following this strategy, a total of 120 plants were collected, which corresponded to 44 genotypes. The most prominent achievement of this prospecting mission was the recovery of 15 accessions of Berués, a very old variety with a remarkable importance in the region according to old historical records, and considered to be disappeared. The methodology proposed was effective in searching for the oldest standing-alone plants surviving in the peri‑urban area of Pamplona, and may be adapted to assist the recovery of old grapevine germplasm in other currently non wine-growing regions/areas where viticulture was relevant some decades ago. © 2021
Open Access
Analysis of the genetic diversity and structure across a wide range of germplasm reveals prominent gene flow in apple at the European level
(BioMed Central, 2016) Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Denancé, Caroline; Ravon, Elisa; Guyader, Arnaud; Guisnel, Rémi; Feugey, Laurence; Poncet, Charles; Lateur, Marc; Houben, Patrick; Ordidge, Matthew; Fernández Fernández, Felicidad; Evans, Kate M.; Paprstein, Frantisek; Sedlak, Jiri; Nybom, Hilde; Garkava Gustavsson, Larisa; Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Gassmann, Jennifer; Kellerhals, Markus; Suprun, Ivan; Pikunova, Anna V.; Krasova, Nina G.; Torutaeva, Elnura; Dondini, Luca; Tartarini, Stefano; Laurens, François; Durel, Charles Eric; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
Background: The amount and structure of genetic diversity in dessert apple germplasm conserved at a European level is mostly unknown, since all diversity studies conducted in Europe until now have been performed on regional or national collections. Here, we applied a common set of 16 SSR markers to genotype more than 2,400 accessions across 14 collections representing three broad European geographic regions (North + East, West and South) with the aim to analyze the extent, distribution and structure of variation in the apple genetic resources in Europe. Results: A Bayesian model-based clustering approach showed that diversity was organized in three groups, although these were only moderately differentiated (FST = 0.031). A nested Bayesian clustering approach allowed identification of subgroups which revealed internal patterns of substructure within the groups, allowing a finer delineation of the variation into eight subgroups (FST = 0.044). The first level of stratification revealed an asymmetric division of the germplasm among the three groups, and a clear association was found with the geographical regions of origin of the cultivars. The substructure revealed clear partitioning of genetic groups among countries, but also interesting associations between subgroups and breeding purposes of recent cultivars or particular usage such as cider production. Additional parentage analyses allowed us to identify both putative parents of more than 40 old and/or local cultivars giving interesting insights in the pedigree of some emblematic cultivars. Conclusions: The variation found at group and subgroup levels may reflect a combination of historical processes of migration/selection and adaptive factors to diverse agricultural environments that, together with genetic drift, have resulted in extensive genetic variation but limited population structure. The European dessert apple germplasm represents an important source of genetic diversity with a strong historical and patrimonial value. The present work thus constitutes a decisive step in the field of conservation genetics. Moreover, the obtained data can be used for defining a European apple core collection useful for further identification of genomic regions associated with commercially important horticultural traits in apple through genome-wide association studies.
Open Access
Applications of sensing for disease detection
(Springer, 2021) Castro, Ana Isabel de; Pérez Roncal, Claudia; Thomasson, J. Alex; Ehsani, Reza; López Maestresalas, Ainara; Yang, Chenghai; Jarén Ceballos, Carmen; Wang, Tianyi; Cribben, Curtis; Marín Ederra, Diana; Isakeit, Thomas; Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; López Molina, Carlos; Wang, Xiwei; Nichols, Robert L.; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Arazuri Garín, Silvia; Peña, José Manuel; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The potential loss of world crop production from the effect of pests, including weeds, animal pests, pathogens and viruses has been quantifed as around 40%. In addition to the economic threat, plant diseases could have disastrous consequences for the environment. Accurate and timely disease detection requires the use of rapid and reliable techniques capable of identifying infected plants and providing the tools required to implement precision agriculture strategies. The combination of suitable remote sensing (RS) data and advanced analysis algorithms makes it possible to develop prescription maps for precision disease control. This chapter shows some case studies on the use of remote sensing technology in some of the world’s major crops; namely cotton, avocado and grapevines. In these case studies, RS has been applied to detect disease caused by fungi using different acquisition platforms at different scales, such as leaf-level hyperspectral data and canopy-level remote imagery taken from satellites, manned airplanes or helicopter, and UAVs. The results proved that remote sensing is useful, effcient and effective for identifying cotton root rot zones in cotton felds, laurel wilt-infested avocado trees and escaaffected vines, which would allow farmers to optimize inputs and feld operations, resulting in reduced yield losses and increased profts.
Open Access
Genetic diversity of Spanish Prunus domestica L. germplasm reveals a complex genetic structure underlying
(Public Library of Science, 2018) Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Errea, Pilar; Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Pina, Ana; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
European plum (Prunus domestica L.) is an ancient domesticated species cultivated in temperate areas worldwide whose genetic structure has been scarcely analyzed to date. In this study, a broad representation of Spanish European plum germplasm collected in Northeastern Spain and a representative set of reference cultivars were compared using nuclear and chloroplast markers. The number of alleles per locus detected with the SSR markers ranged from 8 to 39, with an average of 23.4 alleles, and 8 haplotypes were identified. Bayesian model-based clustering, minimum spanning networks, and the analysis of molecular variance showed the existence of a hierarchical structure. At the first level, two genetic groups were found, one containing 'Reine Claude' type reference cultivars altogether with ca. 25% of local genotypes, and a second one much more diverse. This latter group split in two groups, one containing most (ca. 70%) local genotypes and some old Spanish and French reference cultivars, whereas the other included 24 reference cultivars and only six local genotypes. A third partition level allowed a significant finer delineation into five groups. As a whole, the genetic structure of European plum from Northeastern Spain was shown to be complex and conditioned by a geographical proximity factor. This study not only contributes to genetic conservation and breeding for this species at the national level, but also supports the relevance of undertaking similar tasks of collection and characterization in other unexplored areas. Moreover, this kind of research could lead to future coordinated actions for the examination of the whole European plum diversity, to define conservation strategies, and could be used to better understand the genetic control of traits of horticultural interest through association mapping.
Open Access
Assessment of flesh browning diversity in apple germplasm collections phenotyped by image analysis
(ISHS, 2023) Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Irisarri, Patricia; Arellano Zapatero, Julia; Bielsa González, Francisco Javier; Valencia Leoz, Ana; Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Pina, Ana; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Castel, L.; Errea, Pilar; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB
Enzymatic flesh browning (EB) is one of the major problems affecting the quality and limiting the shelf life of minimally processed fruit. Traditionally, EB has been measured objectively using colourimeters. However, colourimeters are not suitable for phenotyping large quantities of fruit samples as they measure just one small area of a sample at a time, which hampers the acquisition of representative measurements and renders them time-consuming and costly. Previous research has shown that image analysis of digital photographs could be a viable alternative to obtain colour information of the entire surface of samples for large scale phenotyping, but to date there are no references for its practical application. The aim of this work was to assess the diversity in EB in a large set of cultivars phenotyped using digital photographs and a high-throughput analytical system based on image analysis developed by our team. A set of 143 cultivars from 104 genotypes, including modern references (16 cultivars) and traditional Spanish cultivars from UPNA (67 cultivars) and CITA (60 cultivars) germplasm collections was analysed in 2020 and 2021. The traditional cultivars were part of the core collection, which optimizes the representativeness of the genetic variation of apples preserved in Spanish collections. EB was evaluated in 10 fruits per cultivar and photographed at regular intervals from just after cutting to one hour later. A wide range of EB intensities was observed, with up to 20-fold differences between cultivars, which could be classified into five levels using two indices. The time at which EB was evaluated (30 or 60 min after slicing) had little influence on the classification. Traditional cultivars with low or very low EB were found to be comparable to those of references with less EB. The results show the potential of traditional germplasm to diversify the varietal offer and introduce new traits in apple breeding.