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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1521275
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Grapevine Structure and Physiology: Integrative Approaches to Understand Structure-Function Relationship to Enhance Vine Health and Fruit QualityView all articles
Whey protein hydrolysates enhance grapevine resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses
Provisionally accepted- 1University of applied Sciences Western Switzerland, Changins-College for Viticulture and Enology, Nyon, Switzerland
- 2Institute of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland Valais-Wallis, Sion, Valais, Switzerland
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Introduction: The growing need for sustainable viticulture has increased interest in biostimulants that enhance plant resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. This study evaluates the efficacy of whey-derived protein hydrolysates (PHs) in improving Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon tolerance to combined heat and drought stress and reducing pathogen infections.Methods: Potted grapevines were subjected to 40 °C heat stress without irrigation and treated with either water or PHs. Physiological parameters as well as key stress- and photosynthesis-related genes expression were monitored. The antimicrobial effects of PHs against Plasmopara viticola and Botrytis cinerea were also assessed.Results: PHs-treated plants exhibited a faster recovery of photosynthetic activity than control plants and maintained normal sub-stomatal CO2 concentrations under combined abiotic stress. PHs treatment significantly upregulated heat stress-responsive genes (HSFA2, HSP101) and mitigated the stress-induced decline in photosynthesis-related genes (LHCA3, RbcS). Moreover, PHs significantly enhanced grapevine drought tolerance, as indicated by higher leaf water potential values and expression of drought-responsive genes (NCED1, TIP2;1). Additionally, PHs demonstrated a direct toxic effect on P. viticola, inhibiting zoospore germination and reducing sporulation on leaf discs, while reducing B. cinerea infection in berries when applied post-infection. Conclusion: In the tested conditions, whey PHs serve as effective biostimulants, enhancing grapevine resilience to combined drought and heat stress while providing protection against grapevine pathogens. Although further validation in vineyard conditions is needed, this dual benefit of PHs may propose a potential sustainable alternative to reduce chemical inputs in viticulture, contributing to more environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
Keywords: Vitis vinifera, biostimulant, Protein hydrolysate, whey, abiotic stress, biotic stress
Received: 01 Nov 2024; Accepted: 14 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Alfonso, Andlauer, Brück and Rienth. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Markus Rienth, University of applied Sciences Western Switzerland, Changins-College for Viticulture and Enology, Nyon, Switzerland
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.