Can the use of basalt dust mitigate the drought stress effects in grapevine? Setup of monitoring approach and protocols in a case study on Falanghina in Southern Italy

In the inland of Southern Italy, climate change puts viticulture at risk of sustainability. Cultivar-specific cultivation techniques, also designed to suit peculiar pedoclimatic conditions of the vineyard, are needed to stabilize the productivity of vines, increase the grape quality, and improve the use efficiency of resources. Currently, the Italian legislation requires that vineyards are cultivated as rainfed to achieve quality and/or geographical indication labels. However, climate forecast models indicate that in the next decades there will be an increase in severity and duration of drought events that will affect the growth and productivity of vines beyond a threshold level making rainfed vineyards unsustainable. The aim of this study was to verify whether foliar applications of basalt dust can mitigate the negative effects of drought stress in a vineyard of Falanghina grapevine in Southern Italy. The vineyard is in an inland area of ...