{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T22:53:17Z","timestamp":1777071197570,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]],"date-time":"2026-01-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767916800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Union\u2014PRR","award":["C644866286-00000011"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["C644866286-00000011"]}]},{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","award":["UID\/04129\/2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/04129\/2025"]}]},{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","award":["LA\/P\/0092\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0092\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Environments"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Climate change and unsustainable agricultural practices are triggering land degradation in semi-arid Mediterranean regions. Organic amendments, such as mulching materials, have shown promising potential to mitigate these impacts by improving soil chemical, physical, and biological properties, while enhancing grapevine growth and productivity. This study evaluated the effects of wheat straw mulch (M) and wheat straw combined with biochar (MB), together with vineyard topography (bottom vs. top), on grape chemical and phenolic composition in four Vitis vinifera L. cultivars (Syrah, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, and Ant\u00e3o Vaz) grown in the Alentejo wine region. Grapes were sampled separately at top and bottom topographic positions, and classical and phenolic parameters were analyzed. The application of M and MB significantly modified must composition, mainly through changes in nitrogen and sugar levels across topographic positions. Only MB exhibited stronger effects, enhancing must quality, while MB and M reduced bottom\u2013top variability. Similar patterns and positional effects were observed for phenolic and color parameters. Both organic treatments lowered total monomeric anthocyanin concentrations, although positional differences with wheat straw mulch were found. The results highlight that combining soil management with topography and variety response can optimize grape phenolic composition and promote sustainable viticulture through targeted, site-specific mulching strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/environments13010044","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]],"date-time":"2026-01-09T16:03:16Z","timestamp":1767974596000},"page":"44","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Effect of Organic Soil Amendments and Vineyard Topographic Position on the Chemical Composition of Syrah, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, and Ant\u00e3o Vaz Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) in the Alentejo Wine Region"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Matteo","family":"Pierini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1975-1571","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shrika G.","family":"Harjivan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Nicol\u00f2","family":"Sieli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6295-9650","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Jo\u00e3o","family":"Cabrita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE\u2014Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Departamento de Fitotecnia, Escola de Ci\u00eancias e Tecnologia, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7341-877X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00e9rgio","family":"Prats","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE\u2014Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Misi\u00f3n Biol\u00f3gica de Galicia\u2014National Spanish Research Council (MBG-CSIC), 36143 Salcedo, Pontevedra, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6223-4377","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofia","family":"Catarino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"LEAF\u2014Linking Landscape Environment Agriculture and Food\u2014Research Center, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Associate Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"CeFEMA\u2014Centre of Physics and Engineering of Advanced Materials, Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3706-0982","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorge M.","family":"Ricardo-da-Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"LEAF\u2014Linking Landscape Environment Agriculture and Food\u2014Research Center, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Associate Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Atlas of Desertification (WAD) (2025, January 14). Aridity Projections European Commission Joint Research Centre. 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