Climate change is being felt in all vineyards around the world, opening up new perspectives for regions with a growing winemaking industry. In this study, 11 hybrid grapevines grown in cold climates were assessed in terms of flowering biology and pollination efficiency. The flowers were evaluated for the number of anthers and pollen grains in the flower; pollen viability and pollen grain size, the number of ovules in the ovary, and, consequently, the size and the weight of berries and the number of seeds in the berries were also analyzed. The flowers of Vitis vinifera L. usually have 5 stamens and 5 petals in their structure; this number for hybrid varieties ranged from 4 to 7, and in the case of the variety ‘Seyval Blanc’, it was 4 to 11 stamen and petals. Pollen grain size varied and ranged from 17.01 to 22.25 μm, while pollen grain pro-duction in flowers ranged from 5073 to 34,976 grain, which was calculated using a Bürker hemocytometer. The number of ovules in the ovary for the cultivars in question was highly variable, ranging from 3 to 7. One of the most important factors affecting flower pollination is stigma receptivity. Stigma receptivity appeared when the cap starts to fall off and disappeared at the browning of the cap. In connection with climatic changes, grapevine production is expanding to cool-climate countries. The aim of this study was to expand our knowledge about the flower morphology of 11 hybrid grapevine varieties most commonly cultivated in Poland. Knowledge of the flowering process can be important for improving yield and its quality.

The effect of rootstocks on the growth, yield and fruit quality of hybrid grape varieties in cold climate condition | Barbara Kowalczyk, Monika Bieniasz, Jan Błaszczyk, Przemysław Banach | Agricultural Journals

Sweet wines are appreciated worldwide; many are produced by fermenting the must of dehydrated (semi-dried) grapes, using methods that vary from region to region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the basic chemical and oenological characteristics of wines obtained by three technologies of production. The wines were made from a hybrid cultivar ‘Hibernal’, grown under cool climate conditions. ‘Hibernal’ is a hybrid variety. This ‘Hibernal’ variety is widely cultivated in central and eastern Europe, where it is of great economic importance. Wines produced from this variety are popular in local markets. In comparison with the production of varieties belonging to Vitis vinifera, a very small percentage of the ‘Hibernal’ variety is cultivated. The methods used in the experiment for the production of wines were: classical method in the Italian passito style, modification of the passito style with a seven-day maceration of grapes, and a method of production in the Tokaj wine style at five Puttonyos. Basic chemical parameters, acid profile, total phenolic content, antioxidant and antiradical capacities, and quantitative analysis of selected polyphenols was performed. The sensory features and quality of the wines was assessed using a sommelier analysis based on The Wine & Spirit Education Trust guidelines. The results indicated that the seven-day maceration of the dehydrated grapes resulted in the highest polyphenol content, as well as the largest antioxidant and antiradical contents. The oenological evaluation of wines produced by the Tokaj method and Italian passito method with seven-day maceration found that the wines were appreciated due to their rich taste, flavor, and overall quality. The present study confirms the promising opportunities to obtain special sweet wine with a valuable composition and oenological characteristics in regions with cooler climates.

This article focuses on analysing the properties of six varieties of haskap berry (honeyberry) as a valuable raw material for producing health-promoting juices. Significant differences in the content of bioactive compounds were observed between juices derived from fruits of the same species. This study demonstrated that controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions (20% CO₂ and 5% O₂) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in Xtend bags affected juice quality by minimising nutritional losses. The analysis of polyphenol content in the juices revealed significant differences between varieties and years (2021 and 2022), primarily due to varying weather conditions. In 2022, the polyphenol content of the varieties ‘Usłada’, ‘Candy Blue’, ‘Boreal Beauty’, and ‘Boreal Beast’ was from 69% to twice as high compared to values recorded in 2021. CA and MAP storage conditions were found to be more effective than normal atmosphere (NA) in preserving bioactive components, and thus the antioxidant activity of the fruits, as measured by the DPPH method. The variety ‘Sinij Utes’ had the highest total polyphenol contents and their lowest loss during storage. Conversely, the variety ‘Boreal Beauty’ contained the lowest polyphenol levels both after harvest and storage. This study confirmed the importance of proper storage conditions for maintaining the antioxidant properties of haskap berries.