To mitigate the impact of irrigation on fresh-water resources and their associated ecosystems, SPATIAL VINE seeks to optimize water consumption through fine-tuning deficit irrigation strategies and fertilization N regime. Under semi-environmental conditions, potted soil plants will be grown at different edaphic conditions, water deficit and low N availability. The SPATIAL VINE project aspires to decipher and spatially localize the molecular mechanisms activated by roots to promote water and N acquisition at veraison phenological stage. For the first time, the use of innovative, multidisciplinary and high-tech technologies will allow to spatially characterize the molecular responses activated in roots. Spatial data will be integrated with metabolomics, microbiome sequencing, plant phenotyping and physiological results to better define the biological processes activated in roots.

SPATIAL VINE is expected to identify key molecular components for water and N acquisition that will be used to devise more sustainable vine fertilization strategies to enhance water and N acquisition and will thus achieve a more rational use of water and N fertilizers. The project will develop over 2 years, ensuring the sequential development of activities and the optimal interaction among the research units. We expect that the leveraging the great level of detail of this study (multiple factors and variables) will pave the way to modeling and then optimize irrigation and nutrition in grapevine. This goal is sensitive to both environmental and socio-cultural aspects, that not only impact winegrowing and stakeholders, but also the entire community.