As an essential mineral element, selenium (Se) must be consumed by organisms through food and beverages. A method used to raise the amount of Se in food made from plants is biofortification, which is the process that increases the bioactivity and content of Se in the edible parts of plants. Foliar fertilization is the most feasible method of introducing selenium into the food chain. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of foliar biofortification with Selenium on various quality attributes of fruit species suitable for fruit-based beverage production, with the main goal of verifying the incorporation of Se into plant tissues. During the growing season in 2023, sodium selenate was applied in an equivalent of 150 g/ha Se in professional raspberry, blueberry, redcurrant, honeysuckle and apple plantings, from which fruit-based juice was later produced and analyzed. There was significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in the Se content in the fruit’s juice, which was the main goal. Furthermore, after the application of Se under the mentioned conditions, there was a significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in nutritionally valuable parameters, such as antioxidant activity, ferulic acid and resveratrol, but also the content of glucose, fructose, malic acid, total acids, Mn, Ba, Ca, Li, myricetin and chlorogenic acid content. On the other hand, a decrease in some valuable indicators, but also heavy metals (Al, Cu, Cr), were noticed in some fruit juices.

Pre-ferment maceration is a technological process that improves the aromatic and gustatory profile of the wine and increases its archiving potential. The aim of the work was to evaluate the influence of pre-ferment maceration length on sensory and analytical parameters in rosé wines from vintage 2022. In the experiment, 'Cabernet Sauvignon' grapes from the Slovak wine-growing village of Mužla were used. Pre-ferment maceration was not used in the control variant. . In variants A and B, one-hour pre-ferment maceration was used. In variants C and D, two hours of pre-ferment maceration was used. In variants B and D, pectolytic enzymes were added. The use of pectolytic enzymes causes a demonstrable increase in pH in the resulting wine. Variants with longer maceration and the control variant had a demonstrably higher content of total acids than variants with shorter maceration. The highest content of acetic acid (0.25 g/l) was found in the variant with longer maceration and without the use of enzymes. The lowest content of acetic acid (0.20 g/l) was detected in the control variant and variants with a shorter maceration time. Wines with one-hour maceration contained less malic acid compared to variants with longer maceration or variants without maceration. In the content of tartaric acid, the lowest content was observed in variant A (5.20 g/l), while the highest content was in variant C and in the control variant (5.70 g/l). The overall sensory evaluation of the wines was as follows: the best-rated variant was variant B, which reached 86 points from 100-point OIV scale; the worst-rated variant was variant A, with 81.23 points. Based on the results, we recommend an optimal pre-ferment maceration time of 1 hour using pectolytic enzymes.

Grapevine growth and physiological performance are strongly influenced by biotic and abiotic stresses occurring during the growing season. Plant stimulants are increasingly applied in viticulture as management tools aimed at supporting plant physiological processes and improving plant performance under variable environmental conditions; however, cultivar-specific responses to different application strategies remain insufficiently characterized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of foliar plant stimulant application strategies differing in application frequency and phenological timing on selected physiological and canopy-related indicators in Slovak grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) under field conditions. The assessed parameters included leaf chlorophyll a and b contents, chlorophyll a/b ratio, leaf area index (LAI), vegetation indices (NDVI and PRI), cluster weight, and basic must composition. Grapevines were subjected to three treatment variants: a control without plant stimulant application, a variant with two foliar applications, and a variant with three foliar applications of commercial biostimulants (Tecamin Max, Tecamin Flower, and Tecamin Brix) performed at key phenological stages during the growing season. Plant stimulant applications were associated with variations in leaf chlorophyll content and LAI values, particularly under repeated application strategies. NDVI and PRI complemented leaf-level measurements by capturing cultivar-dependent differences in canopy condition and photosynthetic regulation throughout the season. Responses of cluster weight and must composition to plant stimulant application were moderate and varied among cultivars, indicating cultivar-specific responses. Although no consistent increase in cluster yield was observed, treated variants showed higher sugar content and lower titratable acidity in several cultivars, indicating differences in grape composition and ripening-related traits. Overall, the results indicate that foliar plant stimulant application strategies can influence physiological and canopy-level grapevine traits in a cultivar-dependent manner. The combined use of leaf-level, canopy-level, and spectral indicators provides a practical framework for evaluating plant stimulant strategies under field conditions and supports their application in sustainable viticulture.

Grapevine trunk diseases represent a serious threat to viticulture, posing substantial challenges to the sustainability and productivity of vineyards. Fungal pathogens associated with the grapevine trunk diseases complex decompose the wood matter in grapevine trunks, leading to the disruption of vascular tissue integrity and the subsequent disruption of water and nutrient translocation within the plant. The aim of the work was to compare the yield and qualitative parameters of musts and wines from symptomatic and asymptomatic grapevines. The grape originated from the Nitra wine-growing district, from varieties Riesling Italico and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 17 years, were used. Grapes from symptomatic and asymptomatic grapevines were processed into must and wines. The differences in yield quantity and physicochemical parameters of must and wine were analysed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyse the physicochemical parameters. To test the statistical significance of the results, the Tukey’s test (p ≤ 0.05) was applied. Symptomatic grapevines of Cabernet Sauvignon exhibited significantly lower cluster weight and yield compared to asymptomatic grapevines, with a decrease of 504.71 g per bush. For Riesling Italico, no significant difference in yield was found. The must from symptomatic grapevines had significantly lower total sugar content, with Cabernet Sauvignon showing a decrease of 51.29 g/L and Riesling Italico a decrease of 23.72 g/L, along with higher acidity in Cabernet Sauvignon (+1.54 g/L). These findings confirm that grapevine trunk diseases exert a detrimental effect on both yield and must quality, with notable variability observed between grape varieties.