The effects of melatonin applications on the physiology and development of 'black magic' vines grafted onto different rootstocks under continental climate conditions

Our country is within the forefront countries of the world for table and raisin cultivation in terms of viticulture as it has unique advantages with traditional culture and genotype diversities. There is a well-established grape growing activity in almost every region of our country, which has been reached today from the combination of traditional cultivation techniques specific to the region and ecologically specialized grape varieties that have been going on for centuries. However, as in world viticulture, environmental stress factors that suppress agricultural activities in our country negatively affect the sustainability of grape production by causing significant losses in yield and quality. Under the influence of increasing environmental stress factors, it is important to reduce various stress factors that negatively affect plant development and to carry out studies to minimize the plant's impact from these adverse conditions in order for the world population to be able to feed sustainably. In this context, melatonin is an important molecule that plays a vital role in the fight against various abiotic and biotic stresses in plants. Positive results of melatonin treatments in different plant species have been obtained in protecting plants against various stress factors. On the other hand, it is observed that the application of melatonin in grape production is quite limited. Within the scope of this study which was performed in Research and Application Vineyard of Selcuk University Faculty of Agriculture Department of Horticulture, the effects of melatonin treatments on the physiology and development of 'Black Magic' vines grafted on different rootstocks (41B ve Rupestris du Lot) was investigated. According to the general findings obtained, recommendations on melatonin treatments has been tried to be developed for the sustainability of national viticulture under the influence of multiple stress factors. Melatonin treatments, performed four times during the summer season, have yielded positive results on supporting the vine physiology and vegetative development as well as mitigating the oxidative stress. Among the doses tested in the study, 200 µM melatonin was pioneering for many parameters. Melatonin treatments have been found to be promising practice in sustainable viticulture for supporting the vines against stress factors under the effects of climate change