AREA IV. Viticulture and the Environment
Project 14:

Fungi and Micotoxines

The air surface of plants, leaves, fruits, and branches are usually colonized by numerous microorganisms, among which certain philamentous fungi species and yeasts abound on the grape bunches during harvesting. 

  These organisms, do no usually affect the produced wine must.  However, certain species tend to increase their populations, especially in the case of very late harvests.   In such circumstances, wine quality could be seriously altered.  Furthermore, the wine itself may be contaminated with some micotoxines which are currently highly questionable due to human health reasons.

The execution of this work shall help identify, at a vineyard level, the presence and population dynamics of the fungi species which have a double implication for the wine industry:

1. They have a negative effect on wine production processes lowering the quality of the end product.
2. They contaminate, and are potential producers of micotoxines, which may affect human health, which is why their presence in wine must be prevented. 

Therefore, this project shall carry out a diagnosis of the fungi and toxins that are potentially harmful to wines and it shall also develop strategies for the control of such microorganisms.

Project Length: 3 years