Strategies for resilient grapevines
in the scope of climate change

Scientific portrait
The Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof is one of the 18 research institutes of the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) and thus part of the departmental research in the portfolio of the german Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. In addition to providing political advice to the Federal Government and the preservation and development of vine genetic resources, the third core task is vine breeding. The tasks and research of the institute are focussed on the development of the scientific basis for the breeding improvement of grapevines in order to ensure a diverse, efficient and environmentally and consumer-friendly cultivation against the background of climate change and the conservation of resources. To date, the institute has played a key role in the development of new sources of resistance and has developed a number of innovative methods to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the breeding process as part of its breeding research. These include, e.g. digital high-throughput methods of trait recording and the combination (pyramidisation) of different resistances to powdery and downy mildew using molecular markers. Furthermore the institute is increasingly concerned with issues relating to the influence of climate change.

In addition to the research areas of digitalisation, breeding and resistance research, the JKI in Siebeldingen has very well-equipped laboratories and many years of expertise in the field of molecular genetic analyses and marker development for breeding. The close networking in viticultural practice is being further expanded in WiVitis and is available for the dissemination of the processed project results. All project results will be bundled at the JKI.

Scientific portrait
DLR Rheinpfalz, currently part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture, is responsible for agricultural, viticultural and horticultural consulting, adult education and experimentation, applied research in viticulture, oenology and phytomedicine as well as land development and rural land organisation. With a vocational school, a technical college for viticulture and horticulture and a connection to four Rhineland-Palatinate universities of applied sciences via Weincampus Neustadt with its four degree programmes, practical training is provided in teaching, experimentation, research and consulting. Fundamental components of the research activities at the Institute of Phytomedicine include the diagnosis of pathogens, investigations into the general biology of pathogens and the physiology of grapevines, research into the defence reactions of grapevines and the development of alternative control methods.

Depending on the stage of development resilient PIWIs are tested in comparison with susceptible traditional grape varieties. The experiments take place in the laboratory, greenhouse and field.

Scientific portrait
The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ger. FiBL) has expertise in research, consulting and practice in the areas of organic production, PIWI varieties, plant protection and microbiology. Trials for the development of plant protection strategies are carried out under Good Experimental Practice (GEP) conditions. The viticulture team works on the further development of existing cultivation systems in organic viticulture in order to improve production conditions and promote sustainability. FiBL is very well networked with the wine industry, particularly with organic farms in Switzerland, and is able to ensure good collaboration with practitioners and work with partners and institutions along the whole value chain. The national and international exchange is important here. In addition, there is a close network with PIWI International and PIWI-CH as well as good connections to growers, in particular Valentin Blattner.

Plasmopara viticola will be analysed at regular intervals from the beginning of the development of the canopy until the grapes are ready for harvest. On the one hand through natural infections under field conditions at various locations and on the other hand through inoculations, and the susceptibility to infections is assessed on the basis of sporulation intensity. Tests with Botrytis are also carried out from the stage of the development of the shoots until the grapes are ready for harvest. For this purpose, shoots/clusters in the vineyards are inoculated with Botrytis at different times and the infestation is assessed until autumn. Plots and varieties or variety candidates from different breeders will be made available for sampling or berry samples. The project results are analysed according to the evaluation matrix. FIBL is responsible for disseminating the project results on the Swiss side and is involved in the creation of extended variety descriptions for viticultural practice.

Scientific portrait
The partner INRAE-Colmar is the most important institute for breeding of new resistant grape varieties (PIWIs) in France and has internationally recognised experience in the fields of genetics and plant breeding, researching the interaction of vines with pathogenic organisms and studying the effects of climate change on viticulture. The partner has the entire infrastructure required for the cultivation of vines in greenhouses and vineyards, right through to analysing the metabolism of the vines. In the past years nine PIWI varieties have been developed new, which are resistant to downy and powdery mildew and produce high-quality wines. The close and long-standing cooperation with the wine industry guarantees optimal utilisation of the project results.

INRAE-Colmar will carry out metabolomic analyses using mass spectrometry to characterise grape composition. Furthermore INRAE-Colmar will contribute to the implementation of the project results in the variety breeding programmes, to the production of French-language information material for viticultural practice and to the dissemination of the project results in the french wine-growing region.

Scientific portrait
The State Viticulture Institute Freiburg (ger. WBI) is a research and experimental facility of the state of Baden-Württemberg. The tasks of the institute are applied research and practice-related experimental activities in the fields of plant protection, resistance and clone breeding, viticulture and oenology. The focus is on research and development work on ecological and sustainable viticulture. The WBI is networked through co-operation with national and international universities and research institutes in the fields of phytopathology, grapevine resistance and breeding of PIWI varieties. The main focus is on grapevine peronospora, its infection mechanisms and epidemiology as well as its interaction with the host plant. Sufficient breeding strains with promising characteristics are available from the current cross-breeding work with PIWI. The musts of the products from the breeding are matured and analysed in the experimental winery at the institute. The development of new processes and wine styles in the oenology sector is intended to promote the establishment of new PIWI varieties.

Based on the scientific and practical experience with these varieties, new breeding lines with improved characteristics and parent varieties are now ready for further cross-breeding. Areas are set aside for field studies and evaluations. Experience is available for the transfer of knowledge into practice and public relations work, and there are contacts with various media. The WBI is in active dialogue with representatives of the wine industry and the state winegrowing advisory service.

Scientific portrait
The Nano Imaging Lab (NI-Lab) is part of the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI) at the University of Basel. The SNI is a centre of excellence for nanoscience and nanotechnology. It was founded in 2006 by the Canton of Aargau and the University of Basel to promote research, education and technology transfer in the nanosciences and nanotechnology. With the help of the versatile laboratory equipment, surfaces can be precisely imaged and analysed and internal structures can be visualised down to atomic resolution. NI-Lab is equipped with various scanning electron microscopes (SEM), transmission electron microscopes (TEM) and atomic force microscopes (AFM). The NI-Lab also has focussed ion beam technology, confocal microscopes and various spectroscopic analysis options. It is also possible to image samples containing water without drying artefacts using shock freezing in the Cryo-SEM. The results of the analyses are bundled at the WBI and integrated into the evaluation matrix.

As the surface waxes of grapevines are very sensitive, only cryo-SEM can be used to analyse the surface of berries. It guarantees a high level of non-destructive visualisation of the nanostructure. With the help of the data obtained, researchers can characterise the surface properties of the berries and select suitable candidates with stable berry skins for further investigations.