The enzyme UFGT catalyzes the final step of anthocyanin biosynthesis, therefore UFGT has been considered by many authors to be a critical enzyme in anthocyanin biosynthesis . Temporary stimulation of gene transcription is believed to be related to a decrease in S-ABA concentration over time. In ‘Crimson Seedless’ grapes, a constant decrease in S-ABA levels with a half-life time of 14.7 days was observed in treated grape berries . The natural decrease in ABA concentration, along with the decrease in S-ABA levels, may, therefore, lead to decreased activity of some genes, depending on the S-ABA concentration in the plant. Expression of the UFGT gene increased considerably 7 days after S-ABA application in ‘Crimson Seedless’ grapes but decreased 3 weeks after treatment, becoming similar to the control . In “Cabernet Sauvignon” grapes treated with ±cis, trans-ABA, expression analysis of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes revealed that the maximum expression levels were only reached 10–17 days after application and that they then rapidly decreased . ABA cis– and trans-isomers differ in the orientation of the carboxyl group at carbon 2. Only the ABA cis-isomer is biologically active, and it accounts for almost all of the ABA produced in plant tissues. However, unlike the S and R enantiomers, the cis– and trans-isomers can be interconverted in plant tissue . Most of the studies on S-ABA involved V. vinifera cultivars were done in temperate zones and testing a single application . In this study, we evaluated the response of a new V. vinifera × V. labrusca hybrid grape cultivar grown in a subtropical area to multiple S-ABA applications. This hybrid often shows lack of color development; therefore,25 liter round pot our results confirm the effectiveness of S-ABA to improve the color of ripening berries, even under warm climate conditions.

The application of S-ABA to berries of the seedless grape Selection 21 increased the total anthocyanin concentration, changed the proportion of individual anthocyanins, improved their color attributes, and increased the expression of transcription factors and anthocyanin biosynthetic genes. Two applications of 400 mg/L S-ABA, at 7 and 21 DAV, resulted in the best results in terms of color increment and total anthocyanin concentration, favored the accumulation of trihydroxylated anthocyanins, and increased the expression of transcription factors and of the genes F3H and UFGT. These results not only show that S-ABA is a valuable tool for improving the color of red grapes in warm areas, where color deficiency is frequently observed, but also suggest that S-ABA may be useful in grape breeding programs by permitting the selection and release of new cultivars with natural poor color, but other desirable characteristics such as high yield and resistance to common diseases. The iCT in Hemodialysis Centers initiative is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of a health professional , a new Faculty member , a health care administrator , 2 patients , and a health researcher . The Steering Committee takes overall responsibility for all aspects of the initiative, including the workshop. Aligned with the vision of CIHR’s SPOR, the grant activities are undertaken in full partnership with persons on hemodialysis , as well as health care providers and health administrators.Guided by their priorities in every stage of the research process, needed and meaningful clinical trials in hemodialysis can be implemented for successful knowledge translation and uptake in care settings.As many clinical decisions in hemodialysis care are made at the program/unit level , rather than from individual clinician-patient discussions, the trials in this initiative use cluster-randomization of entire hemodialysis units to assess the benefits and risks of intervention. With these considerations, pragmatic trials can test the effectiveness of promising interventions in real-world hemodialysis settings and broad patient groups.

Furthermore, critically needed trials can be conducted with the same quality as traditional trials with individual randomization, but with less time and at a fraction of the cost. The knowledge gained from these new trials is ultimately expected to improve the health and care of those undergoing hemodialysis. A key objective of the iCT in Hemodialysis Centers initiative is to support the development of at least 2 new promising interventions so that by the end of the 4-year grant period , they are ready for large-scale trial implementation in hemodialysis centers. With the involvement of patients, health care providers, and health care administrators, trial planning will be advanced in a manner that builds consensus on research priorities and considers the challenges to implementing different trial concepts. To fulfill this objective, a stakeholder engagement and research development workshop was held in Toronto, Ontario on June 2 and 3, 2018. The workshop emcee was Dr Amit Garg, nephrologist, Program Lead of the ICES Kidney, Dialysis and Transplantation Ontario provincial program , and the nominated principal investigator of the funded iCT CIHR SPOR grant. Through structured presentations, facilitated group discussions, and expert panel feedback , workshop attendees shared knowledge and opportunities to develop and collaborate on innovative, pragmatic, cluster-randomized registry trials embedded in hemodialysis care.In the last decade there has been a rise in adoption of sustainable soil management practices that reduce soil erosion and bolster soil organic matter to counter the impacts of climate change on agricultural soils . Traditionally, vineyard rows were kept bare, with the use of herbicides and tillage. However, there is disagreement on the utility of this practice due to the detrimental effects of tillage on air quality and soil physical, chemical, and biological properties . Thus, the adoption of cover crops and reduced tillage is considered a sustainable alternative to traditional management of vineyard floors . Furthermore, environmental regulations and public perception serve as additional incentive to adopt climate-smart practices . The benefits of cover crops on the properties of soils are well documented.

They can increase soil organic matter , improve water infiltration and aggregate stability, reduce soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions , and increase vineyard biodiversity . Nevertheless, the adoption of cover crops in vineyards is limited by the concern of excessive competition between the cover crop and grapevine for water and nutrients . Many studies have sought to quantify the effects of cover cropping on the grapevine, yet the influence of cover crop adoption on grapevine physiology and production remains elusive. There is agreement in literature that cover crops may reduce vegetative growth, with more pronounced yield losses in warmer regions. However some studies have found no effect . Grapevine physiological responses to cover cropping were also documented, and minimal effects on leaf gas exchange have been found. The presence of a cover crop is generally reported to detrimentally affect grapevine water status . Despite wide acceptance of this particular effect, results are inconsistent as some studies have shown that cover crops may improve early season water status, yet others have concluded that cover cropped vineyards do not display better water status compared to those with bare soil . Ultimately, previous works agree that changes in grapevine physiological response to cover crop adoption are largely driven by the climatic conditions and irrigation regime at a given site . Likewise, it was assumed that the competition between the grapevine and cover crop for water and nutrients resulted in yield decreases, but this effect was also not consistent . Yield reductions and/or no effect on yield are the most common results from such work. However, cover crop species appears to be a more influential factor than merely the presence of a cover crop. Yield increases have even been reported in some vineyards planted with annual species such as oats or legumes . Consequently, any changes to berry composition as a result of cover crop adoption is closely associated with changes in yield, such as smaller berry size and purportedly greater content berry flavonoids . The adoption of reduced or no-till management preserves SOM, reduces soil erosion, improves soil structure, and is considered integral to reducing GHG emissions from the agriculture sector . The influence of tillage on soil properties, while not entirely understood, is more studied than the impact on crops themselves, particularly in permanent cropping systems such as vineyards. However,25 liter pot few reports have investigated the influence of tillage on grapevine physiology under the presence of a cover crop. While differences in leaf gas exchange have been reported between grapevines grown under conventional tillage compared to those under permanent cover crops, there is little evidence of tillage having a direct influence on grapevine stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis . Although no-till practices are often promoted for their positive influence on soil infiltration and conservation of soil water, few studies have found that this effect translated to ameliorated plant water status in grapevine . Previous works indicated that vegetative growth is greater under conventional tillage while yield reductions are typically associated with no-till management, despite research that indicated no effect on production . Furthermore, while some studies have reported increased berry skin anthocyanin content under no-till management, overall there is limited impact of tillage on berry composition . Cover cropping and reduced tillage management are two practices that directly alter the growing environment of the grapevines. Thus, the selection of appropriate vineyard floor management practices is critical in order to maximize benefits to the soil while minimizing the impact on grapevine function and productivity.

This selection involves decisions in space , type , and time including perennial vs. annual species selection and timing of termination . Factors such as cultivar, vineyard age, macroclimate, soil physiochemical characteristics, and the overall goals for the use of the selected cover crop and tillage system must also be considered. These elements have been shown to contribute to the effect of the practices on grapevine functioning and production . The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of cover cropping and tillage on whole grapevine physiology in two contrasting production regions in California, USA. Specifically, we studied the interactive effects of tillage and cover crops on grapevine water status, leaf gas exchange, components of yield, berry composition and resulting water footprint in two contrasting production regions of California during arid seasons. At both experimental sites, the experiments were arranged as a split-plot 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with four and three replications . Each treatment-replicate consisted of 15 grapevines. Three grapevines in the middle of each replicate were used for measurements and the distal plants on either end served as buffer plants. Treatments included tillage as the main plot [conventional tillage and no-till ] and the sub-plot was randomly applied within the main plots as i) Perennial grass ; ii) Annual grass ; iii) Resident vegetation . The cover crop seed was drilled in a 1.5 m wide strip according to seed manufacturer’s recommended rate prior to receiving fall/winter rains in 2019 and 2020 at a rate of 605 kg/ha and 84 kg/ha for the perennial grass and annual grass treatments, respectively. Resident vegetation was allowed to grow within the 1.5 m strip and mowed at the vineyard manager’s discretion. All other cultural practices were conducted according to University of California Cooperative Extension guidelines .At harvest, fifty berries were randomly collected from the three middle grapevines within each replicate and immediately processed. Berries were weighed and gently pressed by hand to squeeze the juice. Total soluble solids were determined using a temperature compensating digital refractometer . Must pH and titratable acidity were determined with an autotritrator . TA was determined by titrating with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide to an end point of 8.3 pH and reported as g/L of tartaric acid. Berry skin anthocyanin content was determined at harvest from 20 berries randomly collected from each treatment-replicate. Berries were gently peeled, skins were freeze-dried . Freeze-dried tissue was ground with a tissue lyser . Fifty milligrams of the resultant powder was extracted in methanol: water: 7 M hydrochloric acid to determine anthocyanin content. Extracts were filtered using a 0.45 µm filter and analyzed using an Agilent 1260 series reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography system coupled to a diode array detector. Separation was performed on a reversed-phase C18 column LiChrospher 100, 250 mm × 4 mm with a 5 µm particle size and a 4 mm guard column of the same material at 25 ℃ with elution at 0.5 mL per minute. The mobile phase consisted of a constant 5% of acetic acid and the following gradient of acetonitrile in water: 0 min 8%, at 25 min 12.2%, at 35 min 16.9%, at 70 min 35.7%, 65% between 70–75 min, and 8% between 80–90 min.