Starting from the well-known antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles, the goal of this study is to evaluate the influence of two “green” recipes, namely an alcoholic extract of Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott and a dispersion of silver nanoparticles phytosynthesized using the extract on grapevine pathogens. The influence of some grapevine parameters (pith/wood rapport, soluble sugars, starch, total sugars, total water content, length of young shoots, number of grapes) in field experiments was also studied. The study was conducted on four clones (Feteasca alba 97 St., Feteasca neagra 6 St., Feteasca regala 72 St., and Cabernet Sauvignon 131 St.) located in vegetation pots inside a greenhouse. For the phytosynthesis of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) we used a scaled-up technology, allowing us to obtain large quantities of nanoparticles-containing solution. The AgNPs analysis by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the synthesis of spherical and quasi-spherical nanoparticles of 17 nm average diameter and 6.72 nm crystallite size. The field experiments registered different responses of the four clones to the treatment, using both the natural extracts and phytosynthesized nanoparticles solution. Both recipes exhibited a protective effect against the Uncinula necator pathogen. For the treatment using phytosynthesized nanoparticles, significant increases in the pith/wood ratio for white wine clones (Feteasca alba 97 St. and Feteasca regala 72 St.) were observed. The biochemical analyses revealed other significant increases of soluble sugars (red wine clones—Feteasca neagra and Cabernet Sauvignon/second year), starch (Feteasca alba and Cabernet Sauvignon in 2021 for both clones), total sugars (Feteasca alba and Feteasca neagra in 2021 for both clones), and of total water content (Feteasca alba and Feteasca neagra in 2021 for both clones), respectively. The applied treatments also led to an increase of young shoots length and grape numbers for all clones as compared to the control (chemical pesticide), which would suggest a potential biostimulant effect of the recipes.

Grapevine leafroll disease (GLD), caused by a complex of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses (GLRaVs), is among the most widespread and economically damaging viral diseases of grapevine. While its physiological and yield impacts are well recognized, the broader ecological implications for vineyard ecosystems remain poorly understood. This review integrates traditional literature analysis with bibliometric approaches to synthesize current knowledge on GLRaV occurrence, diversity, host responses, epidemiology, diagnostics, and management. Data from 729 peer-reviewed articles were categorized into six research clusters: global occurrence and first reports, viral diversity and characterization, host–pathogen interactions, epidemiology and vector dynamics, effects on vine physiology and fruit composition, and diagnostic and management strategies. Our findings highlight GLRaVs as dynamic pathogens shaped by genetic variability, human-mediated plant trade, and ecological interactions with vectors and vineyard biodiversity. Knowledge gaps persist regarding mixed infections, underexplored viticultural regions, ecological impacts, and sustainable management. Future work should prioritize high-resolution genomics, multi-omics approaches, improved diagnostics, ecological studies, and innovative management tools. By framing GLD not only as an agronomic but also as an ecological challenge, this review provides a foundation for more holistic strategies to safeguard vineyard health and productivity.

The aim of this study was to elaborate an efficient in vitro multiplication protocol for Mentha piperita L. (peppermint) and to perform a comparative evaluation of some biochemical compounds in plants regenerated by micropropagation and conventional method. The use of a plain Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium favored the induction of regenerative processes, the percentage of explants that started to grow four weeks after inoculation being 92%. The highest multiplication rate (7.12 shoots/explant) and the highest average shoot length (8.11 cm) were obtained on the MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/L benzylaminopurine, when nodal fragments were used as explants. The rooting phase was not necessary, the shoots developing roots on the multiplication medium. The acclimatization rate of in vitro regenerated plants to ex vitro conditions was 96%. Although biochemical investigations revealed some differences between in vitro regenerated plants and those obtained by conventional methods, the results obtained show that micropropagation can be used successfully to obtain high-quality peppermint biological material, a potential source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic effect.

In order to test some biofungicides, the isolation of Plasmopara viticola was carried out. Plasmopara viticola is a fungus that causes the grapevine downy mildew disease

Vineyards are affected by pathogens globally. Some of the most damaging pathogens are Uncinula necator, Plasmopara viticola, and thrips, which affect the plant entirely and threaten the health and productivity of vineyards. To control the emergence and spread of pathogens, early detection is essential. Studies to date focus on visual or molecular detection of pathogens but are limited in terms of scalability, labor intensity, need for equipment and expertise. To tackle these limitations, we propose the early detection of grapevine virus infections using Convolutional Neural Networks on both RGB and thermal infrared imagery captured via a smartphone and an FLIR sensor. To do so, we employ a four-step workflow where we first acquire nearly 500 images detecting symptoms of pathogens, which we then crop in smaller tiles. Then, we use the ArcGIS Train Deep Learning Model tool trained with Single Shot Detector and RetinaNet frameworks to detect image areas showing pathogen presence. Finally, we calculate the IoU score to compare precisions between different tile sizes and frameworks. The results demonstrate that pathogen detection using these models is highly effective, with most images having a IoU score above 0.7. Moreover, 30% of images score a precision of 1.0. The consequences of these findings highlight the importance of early detection of pathogens to better understand their spread and effects on vineyards, which finally contribute to proposing effective management measures.

The journal retracts the extended abstract “Isolation of Plasmopara viticola from Grapevine Leaves”