Behavior of Vine Varieties Resistant to Fungal Diseases in the Somontano Region

Abstract

The vine is highly susceptible to numerous fungal diseases, the incidence and severity of which are increasing because of climate change. To fight them, large amounts of phytosanitary products are generally used, although they entail important economic and environmental costs. The new fungus resistant vine varieties (PIWI) constitute one of the most active lines of research on plant material in viticulture and are regarded as a viable solution to respond to the requirements of European Directive 2009/128/EC. In the present work, the evolution and impact of the three main fungal diseases (powdery mildew, downy mildew and botrytis bunch rot) were monitored in plots in the Somontano region (Huesca, Spain), comparing three PIWI varieties (Sauvignon Kretos, Souvignier gris and Muscaris) with a susceptible control variety (Sauvignon blanc) in real field growing conditions over three successive years (2016–2018). The main ampelographic characters of each variety were studied and a weekly follow-up was carried out to track the development of each disease, relating it to climatic variables. Regardless of the climatic conditions (one of the growing seasons was rainy and the other two corresponded to dry years, with differences in the distribution of rainfall), the three PIWI varieties hardly presented any symptoms, demonstrating a high resistance to downy mildew and powdery mildew and even to botrytis. Principal component analysis results pointed to a differential behavior versus the control and treated Sauvignon blanc plants in terms of disease resistance. Based on production results, despite the youth of the plantation, the excellent potential of Sauvignon Kretos variety was observed. However, from the analysis of the quality of wine obtained in microvinifications from these fungus resistant varieties in the second and third year, the one obtained from Muscaris seemed to have the best organoleptic properties. Apart from environmental considerations, given that these fungus resistant varieties can significantly contribute to the sustainability of wineries, they may also respond to the demand of consumers who want zero-pesticide products or of the supporters of ecological products adjusted to European regulations.

Grapevine Rpv3-, Rpv10- and Rpv12-mediated defense responses against Plasmopara viticola and the impact of their deployment on fungicide use in viticulture

“…6 ; Additional file 4 ) and powdery mildew (data not shown). This is in contrast to the findings of Casanova-Gascón et al [ 75 ], who observed no negative effects caused by the omission of plant protection for FRCs, possibly because of the lower infection pressure in their trails. Data over the three trial years showed that no downy mildew disease was observed on the Rpv12/Rpv3 -cultivar even in the absence of any fungicide applications.…”

Role of information in consumers’ preferences for eco-sustainable genetic improvements in plant breeding

“…FRG varieties prevent cryptogamic diseases while reducing the use of chemical inputs, thus improving economic and environmental sustainability. Noteworthy is that this provides a potential reduction of more than 80% in chemical treatments [24], far above the 50% reduction target imposed by the European Green Deal. FRG varieties can be developed through two main approaches: horticultural interspecific crossing and genome editing.…”

Consumer acceptance of fungus-resistant grape wines: Evidence from Italy, the UK, and the USA

“…e ., Vitis vinifera ) with other Vitis species, FRG vines have innate resistance against cryptogamic diseases [ 11 – 14 ], so they rely less on chemical treatments. To illustrate, FRG wines allow a reduction in the use of synthetic pesticides by more than 80% [ 15 ], far greater than the 50% objective set by the European Green Deal. Some authors [ 16 ] argue that fungus-resistant grape varieties are also resistant to severe climate conditions.…”