Best practice sampling and virus detection in Australian grapevine propagation assets
Summary
Objective
Grapevine virus infections in commercial vineyards and propagation material pose significant risks to grapevine health and productivity. This project aims to optimise virus management practices in Australian vineyards by:
- Assessing current virus management practices (in-field cultural, virus sampling and diagnostics) in the propagation supply chain
- Providing comprehensive science-based guidelines for virus management across four main propagation assets (nuclear collections, germplasm collections, multiplication rows and source blocks)
- Determining current knowledge on the economic consequences of endemic grapevine viruses in Australia and recommending the set of viruses and virus combinations to be excluded from planting material (‘proscribed’ viruses)
- Determining and testing optimal protocols for the in-field virus sampling of grapevines for each of the proscribed viruses
- Collaborating with Adelaide University’s Biometry Hub to develop a statistically based sampling regime and a Sampling Rate Decision Matrix
- Generating and testing robust, repeatable diagnostic protocols for detection of proscribed grapevine viruses in Australia
- Developing a framework for a sustainable proficiency testing program to ensure diagnostic reliability across Australian laboratories.
The project will engage key stakeholders, including industry representatives and international experts, to ensure alignment with industry needs and adoption of the latest information and best practices.
Background
Globally, 106 viruses are known to infect grapevines, with 18 occurring in Australian vineyards and costing around $20 million annually in lost production and management activities. Impacts include reduced vine vigour as well as reduced grape quality and yield from infected vines. Effective management of these viruses and their vectors is challenging and essential for sustaining vineyard health and industry viability.
In 2021, Wine Australia commissioned the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research to develop a best practice management guide for Grapevine Leafroll Disease and Shiraz Disease, the two most impactful viral diseases in Australian vineyards. The project included a gaps analysis, which highlighted significant knowledge gaps in grapevine virus surveillance, sampling, and diagnostics. Recently, a consortium led by Agriculture Victoria Research (AVR) was engaged to address these gaps and carry out additional research to inform the development of a national grapevine certification standard and enhance management of grapevine virus in both commercial and propagation vineyards. The project will inform the sector on the set of viruses and virus combinations to be excluded from certified planting material, address key gaps in monitoring, sampling and diagnostic protocols for those viruses in both commercial and propagation vineyards, and identify and recommend best practice for virus management in the propagation supply chain.
Sector benefits
This project will deliver substantial benefits to the Australian grape and wine sector by mitigating the risks associated with virus-infected propagation material. Outcomes will include:
- Improved diagnostic reliability, increasing confidence in virus detection and ensuring high health planting material
- Science-based protocols for virus management and testing, reducing virus spread and economic loss to growers and nurseries
- Enhanced productivity and sustainability through the development of tools and protocols that support the provision of clean propagation material.
- Alignment of Australian practices with international standards, enhancing the sector’s competitiveness.
Combination with outputs from related projects, including scale management, The National Grapevine Collection and development of a robust accreditation and certification scheme for propagation materials, will result in vital measures to help prevent the spread of virus and protect the longevity, performance and health of Australia’s vineyards.