Soil CO₂ efflux is a pivotal component of agro-ecosystem C budgets. It is considered a proxy indicator of biological activity and a descriptor of soil quality that is strongly linked to agricultural soil management. We investigated the effects of soil fertilization practices (organo-mineral (OMN) versus chemical (C)) on soil under-vine CO₂ efflux (TSR) in an Italian rainfed vineyard (cv Chardonnay). The TSR was measured using the chamber technique as follows: a close multi-chamber system (prototype) was placed under a vine. Data (CO₂, temperature, and moisture) were acquired hourly during two consecutive years (2021 and 2022) from flowering to berry ripening. Physical–hydrological soil parameters were determined, and the seasonal trends of the TSR, soil temperature, and soil moisture were assessed. The TSR measurements fluctuated for the 2021 season, ranging from 1.03 to 1.97 µmol CO₂∙m⁻²∙s⁻¹ for the C treatment, while for the OMN treatment, the TSR measurements ranged from 1.24 to 1.71 µmol CO₂∙m⁻²∙s⁻¹. Extreme weather conditions (2022) highlighted the differences between the two agronomical practices, and a decoupling was found between the TSR and the soil water content, with the TSR being controlled primarily by the soil temperature. At the daily scale, the findings showed that the TSR reached its minimum in the early morning hours (5:00–8:00). The results promote organic–mineral nutrition as an improved practice for soil carbon storage (restoration of the organic fraction) by reducing the TSR, permitting the preservation of soil quality and stabilizing the hydrological traits by preserving the biotic activities.

This study aims to assess temperature variations caused by ongoing climate change in the Basilicata region, southern Italy—Ionian side of the Gulf of Taranto—on the territory of the Matera DOP vineyard. In particular, it aims to assess the influence of the sea on temperature trends, and particularly to its “mitigating effect” in the context of ongoing climate change. Temperature trends were analyzed using ERA5-Land data from 1981 to 2022 and data from weather stations of the Lucanian Agency for Development and Innovation in Agriculture from 2000 to 2023. Temperature trends were studied considering both the period of the vegetative-productive season of the vineyards and the whole year. The results of this study show that, for the historical period analyzed, the Matera DOP area showed a significant upward trend in temperatures, particularly in the inland areas. This increase, especially for minimum temperatures, is more evident at higher elevations than at lower elevations near the sea. Indeed, coastal areas benefit from the thermoregulatory effect of the Ionian Sea, which moderates temperature increases at lower elevations. It follows that the Matera DOP wine-growing areas, and particularly those furthest from the coastal strip, will have to adapt to harsh climatic conditions that will certainly affect the quality and typicality of the wines.

The temperature variations caused by the climate changes taking place in the Basilicata region, southern Italy - Ionian Seaside of the Gulf of Taranto - on the territory of the DOP Matera vineyard, were studied by means of an analysis of temperature trends considering both the period of the vegetative-productive season of the vineyards and the whole year. Two datasets were analyzed for this study: data from ERA5-Land of the C3S Climate Data Store -relative to the 1981-2022 window- and data from 5 weather stations belonging to the agrometeorological network of the Lucanian Agency for Development and Innovation in Agriculture (SAL-ALSIA), relative to the 2000-2023 window. From the results of this study, it can be deduced that, for the historical period analyzed, the Matera DOP area showed a clear and worrying trend of increasing temperatures and, in par-ticular, minimum temperatures. This increase, moreover, is more evident at higher elevations than at lower elevations close to the sea. At lower altitudes, in fact, temperatures are strongly “buffered” by the thermoregulatory activity of the bordering Ionian Sea. It follows that the DOP Matera viticultural areas, and in particular the areas furthest from the coastal strip, will already have to adapt to severe climatic conditions that will undoubtedly affect the quality and typicality of the wines.