Table-Grape Cultivation in Soil-Less Systems: A Review

Abstract

Table grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is considered to be one of the most popular fruit crops in the world. Italy is the leading table-grape producer in the EU and is the main European exporting country. However, to stay competitive, new solutions and perspectives, including varietal renovation, are now needed in addition to the already well-established Italian table-grape production lines consisting of conventional open-field cultivation and greenhouse cultivation. One of these new perspectives is represented by the development of table-grape soil-less cultivation systems (TGSC) under greenhouse. In fact, TGSC systems are alleged to offer many advantages in terms of the advancement of berry maturity, extreme varietal flexibility, easier manipulation of the vegetative–reproductive cycle, higher yields of high quality extra-seasonal production, higher sustainability for reduced pesticides application, and higher use efficiency of water and fertilizers than conventional (soil-grown) cultivation. They can be also useful for overcoming soil- and rootstock-related problems. In this review, the opportunities offered by the recently developed table-grape soil-less cultivation systems are thoroughly examined and updated to the latest experimental and application findings of the sector’s research activity. A special emphasis is given to the evolution of the applied technical solutions, varietal choice, and environmental conditions for the aims of table-grape soil-less cultivation.