From June 11th to 13th, 2024, the Montevitis consortium held a crucial meeting at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) in Belvaux. This event brought together leading researchers and industry experts to discuss and strategise adaptation measures in European viticulture in response to climate change.
The meeting began on June 11th with a welcoming speech delivered by Daniel Molitor from LIST which was followed by an intensive series of presentations and discussions, featuring detailed presentations on the activities of various work packages (WPs) within the MONTEVITIS project. Camilla Dibari from UNIFI presented the Work Package (WP) 1 activities, followed by Christoph Menz from PIK who discussed the WP2 activities. Nataša Kovač from UDG continued with a presentation on WP3 activities, and Ricardo Oliveira from SPI shared insights into WP4 activities. João Santos from UTAD presented WP5 activities, and Marko Simeunović from UDG concluded the session with a presentation on WP6 activities. After a day of presentations, the consortium held a Management Board Meeting to address administrative issues and set future deadlines.
The second day focused on the workshop titled “Regionality in Adaptation Measures in European Viticulture.” Marko Simeunović from UDG started the session with an introduction to the Montevitis project. This was followed by Marco Hofmann from HGU Geisenheim, who discussed water balance modelling for climate change adaptation. Daniel Hessdörfer from LWG Veitshöchheim then presented “Short- and long-term viticultural cultivation methods for climate change adaptation”. Kristina Heilemann and Daniel Molitor from LIST spoke about viticultural management in the ‘Appellation d’origine protégée (AOP) – Moselle Luxembourgeoise’ under changing climatic conditions. Florian Schwander from JKI Siebeldingen addressed “how to select new robust and climate-adapted grapevine varieties with high wine quality potential”. The day concluded with a round-table discussion, a boat tour of the Moselle River and a visit to experimental vineyards at the IVV in Remich, which was followed by a social dinner on the site.
The final day was dedicated to the Advisory Board Meeting, where project status and next steps were discussed by Marko Simeunović from UDG, Serge Fischer from IVV, and Ignacio Morales Castilla from the University of Alcalá. Following the meeting, a series of thematic seminars were held. Jürgen Junk from LIST presented on climate change impact research in Luxembourg, followed by Marco Beyer from LIST who discussed forecasting diseases in agricultural crops with a focus on weather conditions. Michael Eickermann from LIST also spoke on the impact of climate change on pests in Luxembourg, followed by a short lab visit. Maria Rita Palatella from LIST presented cost-effective and environmental-friendly connectivity solutions, highlighting the Commect project and the Living Lab Viticulture. Miriam Machwitz from LIST discussed remote sensing-based detection of disease symptoms in viticulture. The meeting wrapped up with a demonstration of advanced drone-based remote sensing equipment by Franz Ronellenfitsch from LIST and a light lunch, leaving participants equipped with new insights and strategies for advancing viticulture adaptation in Europe.
The MONTEVITIS consortium continues to push the boundaries of research and innovation in viticulture, addressing the critical challenges posed by climate change. The outcomes of this meeting are expected to significantly influence future adaptation measures, ensuring the sustainability and resilience of European vineyards.
