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Dr Erna Hailey Blancquaert is a lecturer and researcher in Viticulture at the South African Grape and Wine Research Institute (SAGWRI). She has more than 11 years of experience in teaching and research in the field of viticulture and oenology. Her research interests are grapevine ecophysiology, grape berry responses to abiotic and biotic stress, and sustainable alternatives for the production of grapes. Dr Blancquaert is a Fulbright Alumna, a board member and secretary of the South African Society for Viticulture and Oenology, and an Associate Editor for Plant-Environment Interactions.
Conventional agriculture has made the search for sustainability urgent, more so with regards to climate change. This has extended to the grape and wine industry, an important industry in South Africa in terms of labor employment and foreign exchange. This paper aims to review the current state of knowledge with regards to the three pillars of sustainability and with regards to climate change. In order to understand sustainability in South Africa, a historical context is needed, because the welfare of farm workers still retains vestiges of past Apartheid. Ecological responsibility and higher profits are the main reasons for sustainable practices. Additionally, water use, chemical use, and soil erosion are important environmental sustainability concerns. With regards to climate change, in terms of economic sustainability, there will be winners and losers and social sustainability issues will intensify as changes occur in farms. Table grape producers are relatively more profitable than wine grape producers. Furthermore, pest, disease, irrigation pressure will worsen as the climate warms. However, there are long- and short-term adaptation strategies such as changes in viticulture practices and grape cultivars, respectively, to stem the effects of climate change, but this may be stymied by cost and farmers’ perceptions of climate change.
Omamuyovwi Gbejewoh; Saskia Keesstra; Erna Blancquaert. The 3Ps (Profit, Planet, and People) of Sustainability amidst Climate Change: A South African Grape and Wine Perspective. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2910 .
AMA StyleOmamuyovwi Gbejewoh, Saskia Keesstra, Erna Blancquaert. The 3Ps (Profit, Planet, and People) of Sustainability amidst Climate Change: A South African Grape and Wine Perspective. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2910.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOmamuyovwi Gbejewoh; Saskia Keesstra; Erna Blancquaert. 2021. "The 3Ps (Profit, Planet, and People) of Sustainability amidst Climate Change: A South African Grape and Wine Perspective." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2910.
The evolution of flavonoids under altered temperature and light conditions in the fruit zone was followed in Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) grapes during ripening. The study was conducted over two consecutive seasons in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 comprising two main treatments in which the light quantity was manipulated in the bunch zone: (1) standard (STD) with no lateral shoot or leaf removal and (2) leaf removal west (LRW) treatment with leaf removal on the western side of the bunch zone. Furthermore, the light quality was altered by installing ultraviolet B-suppression sheets within the bunch zone in both seasons. Tannin evolution was dependent on the prevailing light quality/quantity and temperatures during berry development in a particular season. Grape seed tannin accumulation coincided with seed development and commenced at the early stages of berry development. Seed proanthocyanidin composition was not influenced by the treatments. The largest impact on proanthocyanidin accumulation and structure in the skin was due to seasonal variations highlighting the complex interaction between light quality and/or quantity across the two growing seasons and eventually the complex interaction with temperature. Flavonol accumulation was significantly influenced by the light quality, which is known to be the main abiotic driver of flavonol biosynthesis regulation. Anthocyanin concentration and content were largely dependent on the temperature and light quality in a particular season. Anthocyanin composition was altered by the season rather than the treatment.
Erna H. Blancquaert; Anita Oberholster; Jorge M. Ricardo-Da-Silva; Alain J. Deloire. Grape Flavonoid Evolution and Composition Under Altered Light and Temperature Conditions in Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.). Frontiers in Plant Science 2019, 10, 1062 .
AMA StyleErna H. Blancquaert, Anita Oberholster, Jorge M. Ricardo-Da-Silva, Alain J. Deloire. Grape Flavonoid Evolution and Composition Under Altered Light and Temperature Conditions in Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.). Frontiers in Plant Science. 2019; 10 ():1062.
Chicago/Turabian StyleErna H. Blancquaert; Anita Oberholster; Jorge M. Ricardo-Da-Silva; Alain J. Deloire. 2019. "Grape Flavonoid Evolution and Composition Under Altered Light and Temperature Conditions in Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.)." Frontiers in Plant Science 10, no. : 1062.