Large-scale SIFT-MS volatile profiling of Vitis vinifera berries grown under greenhouse semi-controlled conditions

Abstract

Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) is a promising high-throughput technology to phenotype individuals for their berry aroma composition. However, no large-scale study has been conducted so far under greenhouse semi-controlled environmental conditions. The aim of this work was to assess the SIFT-MS volatilome of 141 Vitis vinifera varieties grown under such conditions and selected from a diversity panel distributed across three genetic groups (TE, Table East; WE, Wine East; WW, Wine West). Two-berry samples were analysed dynamically using O2+ as reagent ion and a 40 min equilibrium phase at 70 °C. Variability in normalised SIFT-MS data per berry weight among replicate plants of the same variety was low despite notable differences in sugar concentration. Samples clustered into only two groups, with Cluster 1 (C1, n = 91) showing lower abundances for all m/z and more TE varieties, and Cluster 2 (C2, n = 50) exhibiting a greater richness in volatiles and including a larger proportion of WW varieties. This simple binary pattern may reflect the biological continuum of the studied panel, which may be particularly highlighted under controlled-environment growth conditions. Compared to C1, varieties in C2 also showed higher sugar content and smaller berry size. These preliminary findings highlight the potential of SIFT-MS for large-scale phenotyping of single berries and genetic studies of aroma compound abundance, while calling for further validation, complementary GC-MS approaches, and investigation across berry maturation.