The implementation of a national standard for grapevine certification – Phase 2a

Abstract

The Australian grape and wine sector currently lacks a national certification standard that covers the whole of the propagation supply chain. This project is the second of five phases of work aiming to address that gap and deliver one of the two pillars of the National Grapevine Collection (NGC) program. Agreement between key stakeholders to establish a Standards Committee was reached, and Greenlife Industries Australia was identified as the preferred delivery partner for management of the certification program. Discussions with the propagation sector on this governance model are ongoing. Comprehensive best practice guidelines for the entire propagation supply chain were developed, to serve as the basis for propagation standards within the certification program. Research was conducted to quantify the cost of conforming to certification requirements, and a tool was developed to calculate the likely impact on the cost of planting material, as the first step in developing a value proposition for both suppliers and purchasers of certified grapevine planting material. In addition, a number of R&D projects which will fill knowledge gaps required to underpin the standards were developed and initiated.

Summary

This project was the second phase of a program to develop a national certification standard that covers the whole of the propagation supply chain. The project aimed to address immediate priorities for the standard through the following activities:

1. Quantifying the value proposition for certified planting material
2. Developing protocols for the production of planting material for collections, multiplication and source blocks including rapid or green propagation and the movement of grapevine material between collections
3. Setting up for success: establishing a governance and funding model
4. Developing and implementing a communication strategy.

Significant challenges in establishing a collaborative oversight structure were encountered. Despite best efforts, a unified approach with major stakeholders Vine Industry Nursery Association (VINA) and South Australia Vine Improvement Association (SAVIA) was only partially achieved, with agreement to establish a Standards Committee. Agreement on the governance structure for the certification program was not achieved within the project timeframe.

Based on a review of local and international certification programs as part of a previous project (WAC 2101), and following further exploration, Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) was identified as the preferred and recommended option for the delivery of a grapevine certification program. GIA Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) is the national peak industry body representing Australia's greenlife sector, which encompasses the production, supply, and retail of plants, as well as the promotion of their benefits to the community. It already administers sector sub-programs for propagators of avocado, banana, landscape tree stock, macadamia and strawberry.

Because an agreed approach to governance of the Standard could not be reached, priorities shifted away from the communications strategy. Instead, resources were allocated to focus on developing comprehensive best practice guidelines for the production of planting material across the entire propagation supply chain, which will provide the foundation for a grapevine propagation standard. The guidelines incorporate quality assurance objectives identified by key stakeholders in a workshop held in October 2021 and cover grapevine pre-propagation (management of grapevine collections), management of source blocks, supply of cuttings and certification requirements for the production of planting material.

In addition, cost of conformance research was conducted as a first step in determining the value proposition (benefits) of certified planting material to the grape and wine sector. A tool was developed to calculate the likely impact of conformance activities on the cost of producing certified grapevine planting material, which considers a number of variables. The calculator can also be used to determine the impact of certification on cost of planting material for customers. Based on the current version of the best practice guidelines, it is estimated that direct cost of conformance will be between 40-75c per grafted vine, with much of the variation dependant on the density of virus sampling (i.e. % of vines sampled per block) decided upon. Added to this will be any indirect costs and a price premium that a nursery or cutting supplier might add to the product.

A number of R&D projects to provide knowledge required to underpin the Standard were developed or initiated. These include:

• a partnership initiated between Wine Australia and Agriculture Victoria Research to address key gaps in monitoring, sampling and diagnostic protocols for viruses in propagation vineyards
• a proposal with the Adelaide University Biometry Hub for the development of a virus sampling decision matrix
• investigation of funding opportunities to further develop novel remote sensing technology for large-scale surveillance of virus in winegrape vineyards.

The discovery of Grapevine Red Blotch Virus in Australia in 2023 and the occurrence of crown gall-like symptoms in commercial and propagation winegrape vineyards in 2023-24 both required responses by industry, which took resources away from all parties involved and impeded progress. The incidents did, however, demonstrate the value of efforts to develop a propagation standard and the associated governance structures. Having both in place would have provided a framework for a response, including identification of risk points in the production chain and a direct link to best practices requiring revision. 

Key outputs:

• Agreement from key propagation stakeholders to establish a Standards Committee
• Identification of Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) as a suitable service provider for delivering an Australian grapevine certification program
• Development of best practice guidelines to underpin an Australian grapevine propagation standard
• A calculator to estimate the costs associated with meeting certification requirements, as a basis for demonstrating the value proposition (benefits) of certified planting material to the grape and wine sector

Recommended course of action:

1. Support the establishment of the Standards Committee: work with the propagation sector and grape and wine industry bodies to establish a Standards Committee.
2. Build the case for engaging Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) as the delivery partner for the certification program: collaborate with GIA to develop a business case, based on Appendix 1, for consideration by sector stakeholders.
3. Establish governance structure: Work with GIA, the Standards Committee and other stakeholders to develop a robust governance structure for the certification program.
4. Complete Grapevine Nursery Stock Specification: with direction and input from the Standards Committee, finalise the written propagation standard, incorporating new knowledge from research, additional expertise and updated best practices.
5. Implement communication plan: Develop and execute a comprehensive communication plan to promote the benefits of certified planting material to vineyard owners, nurseries, and source block managers.
6. Support research and capability development: Continue to invest in research and capability projects which address known gaps.

Implementing these recommendations will allow the sector to work towards a more robust and sustainable grapevine propagation system, ultimately benefiting the entire grape and wine supply chain.