Enhancing vineyard resilience: evaluating sustainable practices in the Douro demarcated region

In Mediterranean agriculture, sustainability and productivity are seriously threatened by climate change and water scarcity. This situation is exacerbated by poor management practices such as excessive use of agrochemicals, overgrazing, and monoculture. The Douro Demarcated Region (DDR) is an emblematic region, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001. Viticulture is the main agricultural activity in DDR, widely known to produce Port wine. So far, new approaches have been developed to redesign Mediterranean agroecosystems with greater resilience and productivity, focusing on the development of sustainable agricultural production systems through the combined use of biotechnological tools and environmentally respectful agronomic practices, enhancing soil functions and health by employing bioinoculants, remediation techniques, cultivation systems, and climate-adapted crops in each studied region. The present study aims at assessing the impact of bioinoculants’ application and cover cropping on grapevine growth and water stress management in DDR vineyards. A trial was conducted in a commercial vineyard, where treatments with bioinoculants (plant growth promoting bacteria and/or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) and cover cropping (sown with hydrogel), were applied. Exposed leaf area and predawn leaf water potential were measured to assess treatment impacts on grapevines. The results indicate that bioinoculants’ application in cover cropping seeded with hydrogel promote grapevine leaf expansion, increasing vegetative biomass, and enhancing nutrient uptake. Additionally, cover cropping contributed to greater soil water availability, reducing plant water stress during dry periods. These findings underscore the potential of these sustainable practices to improve vine health and increase resilience to adverse climatic conditions in the Douro region.