title: Grape and environmental mycoflora monitoring in old, traditionally cultivated vineyards on Mount Etna, southern Italy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Grape contamination by several fungal species occurs during a vineyard's preharvest and harvest. Agronomic management and microclimatic conditions can affect fungi occurrence and epidemiology, thus explaining qualitative differences in mycoflora composition, including the presence of phytopathogenic or mycotoxigenic fungi. In this study a two-year grape, air and soil mycoflora monitoring programme was undertaken in vineyards on Mount Etna (eastern Sicily, Italy). The mycoflora composition was investigated at pea berry and veraison phenological phases from air and soil and at ripening from sample grapes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mycoflora in air and soil varied according to the phenological stage. In the air samples, penicillia were dominant over aspergilli at the pea berry phase, but their ratio was inverted at early veraison. Black aspergilli (BA) were isolated from the vine environment and grape samples, where BA were represented mainly by Aspergillus niger aggregate, which showed no or low ochratoxin A (OTA) production. Aspergillus carbonarius was either not identified or identified at low frequency, although most of the isolates produced OTA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monitoring focused on the environmental mycoflora composition and highlighted the good health profile of various Sicilian autochthonous grape cultivars. In addition, data suggest that the lower relative humidity occurring at the highest altitudes reduces BA incidence. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Santa Sofia 100, I-95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliveri
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Santa Sofia 100, I-95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Santa Sofia 100, I-95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tessitori
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Santa Sofia 100, I-95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Catara
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Santa Sofia 100, I-95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: La Rosa
mesh_terms: D005516:Food Microbiology; D005638:Fruit / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D012802:Sicily; D027843:Vitis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology*; D014920:Wine / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A
keywords: black aspergilli; environment; fungal biodiversity; ochratoxin A