Fruit and grape quality

We are interested in assessing the effects of different environmental and cultural conditions on the ripening dynamic and final quality of fruits and grape. The aim is to provide scientifically sound data able to better understand mechanisms involved in the ripening of fruits and in the final accumulation of quality attributes, with special emphasis on phenolic compounds and antioxidant molecules.

Areas of interest include:

• The use of differential canopy management techniques to delay berry ripening in grapevine
• The evaluation of the effects of altitude on fruit quality
• The study of the potential use of biostimulants on natural origin (plant extracts, protein hydrolysates, biopolymers and inorganic compounds) to enhance quality and storability of organically produced fruits

We use different analytical techniques, including HPLC and GC-MS, to provide information on the qualitative and quantitative profile of phenolic compounds and other components of final fruit quality.