Smart, adaptive grapevine rootstocks for a changing world

The New Zealand wine industry is a major contributor to our export earnings, a significant regional employer and a flagship industry for our international market image. The 'Smart, adaptive rootstock project' is aimed at advancing industry sustainability goals and increasing our collective respect for kaitiakitanga through the innovative use of novel grape rootstock varieties. New Zealand wine grapes are typically grafted onto a rootstock to provide protection against phylloxera, a root pest which is found in all our grape-growing regions. The rootstocks used for this were developed from breeding efforts in Europe in the 1880s, a time when European viticulturists were facing catastrophic losses because of the arrival of this pest from America. Scientists at Plant & Food Research and the Bragato Research Institute have been researching the role that rootstocks play in controlling other insects as well, in particular sap-sucking insects that transmit damaging viruses throughout the vineyard. They've noted that grapes form a range of unique molecules that act as insect feeding-deterrents, and these circulate throughout the plant body. This funded research proposal aims to chemically identify these molecules, establish how and where they are produced and how much is needed in the plant to fully deter sap-sucking insects. The long-term aim is to develop new rootstocks for use in New Zealand that control not only phylloxera infestation, but many other insects and diseases as well. Using rootstocks for this purpose will reduce agricultural spray applications, reduce production costs, and extend the productive life of our commercial vineyards well into the future.