Maintaining adequate levels of soil organic matter in Mediterranean agro-ecosystems is a pressing need due to the increasing evidence of climate change. The use of by-products of the olive oil industry as organic amendments could contribute to this goal. We report the results of a 2-year research carried out in southern Italy on a clay loam soil for evaluating the effects of different olive oil industry by-products on soil organic carbon and other related soil characteristics. The treatments were: (i) Olive mill wastewater (OMW), (ii) compost from olive pomace (CP1), (iii) compost from olive pomace in double quantity (CP2), and (iv) organo-mineral fertilizer (OMF). Soil samples, collected at a depth of 0–20 cm, were analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC), its extractable (TEC) and humic fractions (HC), and aggregate stability (Ist). In addition, soil macroporosity, water retention, and penetration resistance (PR) were evaluated. CP1 induced the largest increase in soil TOC, TEC, and HC content, and a significant improvement in Ist; the addition of a large quantity of organic carbon (CP2) did not determine a proportional increase in soil organic matter content. The aggregate stability of the CP2 was the lowest; nevertheless, the characterization of macroporosity indicated an improvement of soil structure functionality. With respect to control (OMF), OMW had a significant decrease in Ist and an increase in PR of the uppermost soil layer.

A WebGis tool called GoProsit has been developed to support winegrowers in planning a new sustainable vineyard and in the identification of high-quality terroir in Tuscany, Central Italy, by providing various information on soils, climate, hydrological risks, and fertilization. GoProsit, hosted by the web platform GEAPP, is a free, user-friendly, and interactive Geographic Decision Support System (GDSS). Soil data behind the WebGis tool has a 1 ha resolution, achieved by processing the legacy vector-type soil database of the Tuscany Region with the DSMART (Disaggregation and Harmonization of Soil Map Units Through Resampled Classification Trees as supervised classification) algorithm, which disaggregated the map to 297,023 vineyard grid cells. Each grid cell holds climatic and pedologic information, along with physical and chemical features for each horizon of the most probable soil. GoProsit also provides soil maps in image format obtained by georeferencing about 50 historical soil maps (1969–2012). Finally, GoProsit runs and returns the outputs of six models: (a) carbon footprint, (b) potential erosion and maximum vine row length compatible with tolerable erosion, (c) potential water stress, (d) risk of runoff/waterlogging, (e) identification of suitable rootstocks, and (f) nutritional needs before planting. Statistics of the main model results for the investigated area are reported. This promising tool will soon be usable for the whole Italian territory; however, its potential makes it suitable for use in any wine-growing district.

Vineyard is one of the most complex and vulnerable agroecosystems, and ongoing climate change makes it necessary to identify effective management and adaptation practices. For this reason, a water balance model tailored for viticulture was developed to be implemented within a Decision Support System (DSS) aimed at supporting winemakers both in the vineyard’s planning and management phase. Starting from a simple monthly water balance, based on the Thornthwaite–Mather method, the model returns the water stress risk class through the connection to a soil and climate database; the user can however customize the response by inserting information related to a specific vineyard (e.g., planting, soil, and management layout). The model was tested using data from a three-year field experiment carried out in a vineyard under permanent grass cover (PG) or continuous tillage (CT), allowing for the evaluation of its performance in terms of water balance estimation. The model provided results consistent with the measured soil moisture values, and the annual risk of water stress corresponds to what was measured in the field, differing at most by only one class. The model can guide the user in finding the best solutions for designing new vineyards or managing the inter-row by simulating the adoption of different strategies (trellis system, planting density, type of cover crop or soil tillage) or suggesting alternative solutions (needs of irrigation supply, more suitable cultivars, or rootstocks).

Soil erosion in vineyards is a major environmental problem, particularly in hilly Mediterranean environments. Our study evaluated the effectiveness of permanent grass cover (PG), continuous tillage (CT), and green manure (GM) in reducing soil erosion. Furthermore, a new software tool (ISUMmate_1.1.xlsm), based on the improved stock unearthing method (ISUM), was developed and tested to quantify soil mobilization between successive transects along vineyard inter-row. The field trial was carried out over a three-year period in a Tuscany (Italy) vineyard. The results showed that PG significantly improved aggregate stability and soil organic carbon (SOC) content, while exhibiting the lowest erosion rates. In contrast, GM showed the highest erosion rates as a result of soil disturbance associated with cultivation operations and the occurrence of unexpected intense rainfalls. ISUMmate_1.1 has proven to be a reliable tool for monitoring both water- and tillage-induced erosion, providing valuable information for sustainable vineyard management.

High-mountain agro-pastoral ecosystems are threatened by climate change, which alters plant–soil interactions. Soil mites are key bioindicators of soil functional integrity. This study investigates the ecological niches and temporal dynamics of mite assemblages in Maiella National Park (central Apennines, Italy), focusing on how the soil physical and hydrological properties (porosphere), floristic diversity and micro-refugia sustain community resistance to climatic stress. From 2021 to 2024, a porosphere-centered monitoring program was conducted in autumn at two high-altitude sites (CDX, CSX). We integrated climatic, pedological, and botanical data with taxonomical and functional Acari profiling. In 2024, the protocol included soil functional indicators, such as key enzymatic activities (C, P, and N cycles), microbial biomass (dsDNA), and advanced physical parameters including pore-size distribution and water retention properties. All abundance data were ln(N+1)-transformed prior to analysis. A community of 49,299 edaphic arthropods was recorded, dominated by Acari (76%). Linear mixed models showed no significant site or year effects, but Pearson correlations revealed a strong relationship between small-bodied mites (e.g., Nanorchestidae) and storage pore volume (0.5–50 µm). This highlights a niche-filtering process where the porosphere serves a dual function: as a hydrological reservoir sustaining microbial activity during dry periods, and as a trophic ‘larder’. Although these mites are too large to enter the smallest pores, they use specialized mouthparts to graze on fungal and bacterial biofilms hosted within, ensuring a stable food supply and physical protection. Larger-bodied Oribatida (e.g., Galumnidae, Nothridae)— K-strategists and soil engineers— are correlated to total organic carbon (TOC), playing role as indicators of functional soil maturity, porosphere integrity, and ecosystem resilience in carbon-rich mountain matrices. Notably, Astigmata related positively with cover grass and negatively to microbial activity (FDA), suggesting a role as opportunistic colonizers that bypass the microbial decomposition chain to feed directly on fresh plant detritus or exudates. This inverse relationship may also reflect local niche exclusion where high microbial metabolism or root competition creates conditions less favorable for Astigmata compared to other groups. Predator mites were correlated with other functional mite groups, indicating that the diversity of prey guilds– rather than prey abundance alone – supports predator establishment and shapes trophic structure within the soil food webs. Overall, mite communities maintained high functional integrity, demonstrating that soil architectural complexity acts as a critical biophysical buffer, sustaining ecosystem resilience and nutrient cycling against environmental stress.

Rootstock selection is a key component of sustainable vineyard planning, as it determines the vine’s capacity to adapt to soil properties and environmental constraints. This study presents Vitis, a modular, microservice‑based Decision Support System (DSS) designed to assist winegrowers and professionals in identifying the most suitable grapevine rootstocks for specific pedoclimatic conditions. The rootstock module (SR‑Vitis) integrates a process‑based model that evaluates 17 widely used European rootstocks by considering soil and site characteristics, including effective rooting depth, texture, coarse fragments, salinity, pH, active calcium carbonate, potential fertility, and risks of waterlogging and water deficit. Input data can be entered manually or retrieved automatically from a georeferenced database through geographic coordinates. The system outputs a list of rootstocks compatible with the given soil and environmental context and provides the user with an automatic report in PDF format. The model was applied to four vineyards located in two contrasting Italian winegrowing regions, Chianti Classico (Tuscany) and Alta Murgia (Apulia), revealing strong agreement between DSS recommendations and rootstocks currently adopted by growers, while also identifying cases where alternative choices could reduce agronomic risk. These results demonstrate the potential of SR‑Vitis as an objective and practical tool for enhancing vineyard design, improving decision-making, and supporting viticultural resilience under increasingly variable climatic conditions.