Vineyard Breakthroughs: New Research Priorities Chart the Path for Grapevine Health
California's wine and winegrape industry faces mounting challenges from two formidable grapevine diseases: red blotch and leafroll. A groundbreaking report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, "Advancing Vineyard Health: Insights and Innovations for Combatting Grapevine Red Blotch and Leafroll Diseases," has identified key research priorities aimed at curbing the spread of these viruses and mitigating their economic impact.
Funded by the PD/GWSS Board, the independent report provides a roadmap for future research and action, offering innovative solutions to safeguard the vitality of California's vineyards. Developed by leading scientists, the report examines what is currently known–and unknown–about grapevine red blotch and leafroll diseases, identifies the most promising avenues for research and management and provides guidance for shaping future studies to address these challenges.
The report presents 88 key conclusions and 64 actionable recommendations, focusing on these high-priority areas:
High-priority research to close knowledge gaps:
- Study what drives virus spread
- Investigate infection timelines across grapevine varieties and rootstock combinations
- Create affordable, fast and easy-to-use diagnostic tools
- Use imaging technology for early, large-scale disease detection
- Enhance large-scale testing with advanced nucleic acid-based methods
- Identify the best sampling techniques and minimum sample sizes for accurate vineyard disease assessment
- Establish standardized protocols for diagnostic testing
- Understand how different vector species spread the viruses
- Explore how the environment and grapevine genetics impact disease transmission
- Design better vine removal and replanting methods
- Optimize insecticide use for controlling mealybugs and threecornered alfalfa hoppers
- Develop insecticide resistance strategies and new control options for mealybugs
- Set economic thresholds to guide insecticide use effectively
- Enhance mating disruption techniques for mealybug control
- Improve sanitation, harvesting and pruning to limit the spread of insect vectors
- Create areawide pest management programs and boost grower participation
- Develop disease-resistant grapevines using traditional breeding and bioengineering
- Build models to predict insect populations and disease risks for better management
- Strengthen outreach and education on effective management practices
- Use clean plant material
- Remove infected vines
- Participate in areawide vector management programs