Grapevine leaf gas exchange and non-structural carbohydrate dynamics under climate change

Abstract

Research on plant stress physiology in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) provides a crucial framework to understand how vineyards respond to escalating environmental constraints. Physiological and biochemical approaches will be discussed as tools to analyze grapevine responses to abiotic stresses associated with climate change, particularly the combination of elevated temperatures, prolonged drought, and rising atmospheric CO2. Special attention will be given to the dynamics of leaf gas exchange (photosynthesis and stomatal conductance) and their direct impact on the accumulation and mobilization of non-structural carbohydrates across different organs. By evaluating these physiological traits, source-sink relationships under water stress will be discussed, identifying mechanisms associated with carbon starvation and vegetative performance.
Overall, the aim is to connect fundamental knowledge on grapevine function and carbon budget with applied challenges in modern viticulture, thus representing a key to a multidisciplinary approach.

The speaker

Dr. Monica Canton is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment of the University of Padua (Italy). She also teaches within the Master’s programme in Sustainable Agriculture, with a particular focus on sustainable vineyard and orchard management. Her scientific background combines expertise in plant molecular biology, genomics, and omics integration applied to perennial crops and plant physiology.
Her current research focuses on the eco-physiology of vineyards and orchards under climate change scenarios, with particular emphasis on grapevine responses to abiotic stress. Her work investigates how increasing temperatures, altered precipitation regimes, water scarcity and extreme weather events affect plant physiological processes, productivity and long-term resilience in perennial agricultural systems. Through the combination of environmental monitoring, physiological measurements and data-driven analysis, her work aims to contribute to the development of climate-resilient production systems, improving resource-use efficiency, maintaining crop quality and supporting the sustainability of perennial agriculture in Mediterranean and temperate environments.