Grapevine genotypes with potential for reducing the carbon footprint in the atmosphere and cultivation in a biological system

Abstract

A healthy human society can only develop if there is an unpolluted environment and consumes high-quality food products. According to studies, it was found that the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere until the industrial revolution did not exceed the limit of 300 ppm, and in recent years it has reached the level of 430 ppm. Thus, climate disruption is a phenomenon in full swing, which will be much too fast for certain genotypes of plants and animals to be able to develop and adapt to the new conditions of the habitat. Based on the volume of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, CO₂ is the largest quantity, about 80%, and is usually produced because of anthropogenic activities. Based on greenhouse gas inventory calculations, it is found that land covered with vegetation (forests, agricultural land, etc.) has a decisive share in sequestering greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, about 70%. The agricultural sector is the main source of food security for humanity and is particularly sensitive to climate change. The share of the agricultural sector in total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions worldwide is approximately 13%, about 5-6 gigatons of CO₂ per year. Considering the importance of the agricultural sector, it is necessary to take real actions to improve the situation, namely: - creating grapevine genotypes with an increased potential for capturing carbon from the atmosphere; - cultivating grapevine in a biological system; - reducing greenhouse gas emissions because of both direct and indirect grapevine cultivation. As a result of crossing the grapevine Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sativa D.C. with Muscadinia rotundifolia Michx. it was possible to obtain in the fourth-generation interspecific grapevine genotypes, such as: Ametist, Alexandrina etc. with resilience to climatic factors. Using the light saturation curve method for photosynthesis, it was found that the interspecific genotypes Ametist, Alexandrina etc. have a much greater potential for capturing carbon from the atmosphere compared to the intraspecific grapevine genotypes. At the same time, the interspecific genotypes Ametist, Alexandrina etc. allow cultivation in a biological system without the use of phytosanitary products for the prevention and control of diseases and pests.