Exploring Soil–Microbe Associations with Grapevine Nutrition in Tasmanian Pinot Noir Vineyards

(1) Background: Soil nutrient availability in vineyards is shaped by physicochemical and biological processes. However, how baseline edaphic differences are related to soil microbial functional genes and plant elemental composition under biodynamic management remains unclear; (2) Methods: Two biodynamically managed Pinot Noir (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard sites in Tasmania, hereafter referred to as site 1 (S1) and site 2 (S2), were compared at fruit set, veraison, and ripening. Soil physicochemical properties were measured, soil, leaf, and grape berry elemental compositions were assessed by X-ray fluorescence, and soil microbial taxonomic marker genes and soil microbial functional genes were quantified by qPCR. Because the dataset comprised only six site-by-stage composite samples without independent field-level biological replication, multivariate analyses and partial least squares path modeling were used as exploratory tools; (3) Results: The two sites showed distinct baseline soil physicochemical properties. Soil microbial functional genes varied across sites and phenological stages, with several nitrogen (N)-cycling genes showing higher values at S1 and amoA increasing toward ripening at both sites. AMG, defined here as an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF)-related marker, also increased toward ripening and was interpreted separately from the N-cycling genes. Soil elements mainly reflected site-related differences, whereas leaf and berry elements showed clearer variation across phenological stages. The exploratory path model, based on this limited composite dataset, summarized sequential associations among soil physicochemical properties, microbial functional genes, leaf elements, and berry elements, as well as a direct association between soil physicochemical properties and berry elemental composition; (4) Conclusions: These findings describe exploratory soil–microbe–plant association patterns under biodynamic management and should not be interpreted as statistically inferential or causal evidence.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Agriculture
Published
2026-06-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16131410
Primary Topic
Horticultural and Viticultural Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Exploring Soil–Microbe Associations with Grapevine Nutrition in Tasmanian Pinot Noir Vineyards

Federico Gavinelli, Claudia Chiodi, Silvia Celletti, Andrea Squartini et al.
Agriculture
Horticultural and Viticultural Research
article

Exploring Soil–Microbe Associations with Grapevine Nutrition in Tasmanian Pinot Noir Vineyards

Federico Gavinelli, Claudia Chiodi, Silvia Celletti, Andrea Squartini, Carmelo Maucieri, Giuseppe Concheri, Giulia Zardinoni, Lucia Giagnoni, Leonardo Rigon, Piergiorgio Stevanato, Maria Grazia Giordano, Samathmika Ravi, Shunlei Li, Navaprakaash Velusamy
article en

Abstract

(1) Background: Soil nutrient availability in vineyards is shaped by physicochemical and biological processes. However, how baseline edaphic differences are related to soil microbial functional genes and plant elemental composition under biodynamic management remains unclear; (2) Methods: Two biodynamically managed Pinot Noir (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard sites in Tasmania, hereafter referred to as site 1 (S1) and site 2 (S2), were compared at fruit set, veraison, and ripening. Soil physicochemical properties were measured, soil, leaf, and grape berry elemental compositions were assessed by X-ray fluorescence, and soil microbial taxonomic marker genes and soil microbial functional genes were quantified by qPCR. Because the dataset comprised only six site-by-stage composite samples without independent field-level biological replication, multivariate analyses and partial least squares path modeling were used as exploratory tools; (3) Results: The two sites showed distinct baseline soil physicochemical properties. Soil microbial functional genes varied across sites and phenological stages, with several nitrogen (N)-cycling genes showing higher values at S1 and amoA increasing toward ripening at both sites. AMG, defined here as an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF)-related marker, also increased toward ripening and was interpreted separately from the N-cycling genes. Soil elements mainly reflected site-related differences, whereas leaf and berry elements showed clearer variation across phenological stages. The exploratory path model, based on this limited composite dataset, summarized sequential associations among soil physicochemical properties, microbial functional genes, leaf elements, and berry elements, as well as a direct association between soil physicochemical properties and berry elemental composition; (4) Conclusions: These findings describe exploratory soil–microbe–plant association patterns under biodynamic management and should not be interpreted as statistically inferential or causal evidence.

AgricultureVol. 16(13)
University of Padua (IT), University of Turin (IT)
China Scholarship Council
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 9%
Horticultural and Viticultural Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.