A team of researchers received the first round of funding from a $10 million\u00a0grant\u00a0awarded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture\u2019s Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) to begin a multi-disciplinary, collaborative project focused on cultivating disease-resistant grapes that can be grown sustainably with reduced pesticide and fossil fuel use.<\/p>\n
The national, multi-institutional project team is led by University of Minnesota\u2019s Dr.\u00a0Matthew Clark. The project was built with strong industry support and guidance, especially from the National Grape Research Alliance, which has been involved in this research from its initiation with the first\u00a0<\/a>Vitis<\/em><\/a>Gen project<\/a><\/strong> in 2011.<\/p>\n Remarkable advances from Vitis<\/em>Gen, led by Dr. Bruce Reisch of Cornell University, yielded more sources of disease resistance in five years than were discovered worldwide in the previous 50. New tools developed in Vitis<\/a><\/em>Gen2<\/a>,<\/strong> co-led by Bruce and Dr. Lance Cadle-Davidson\u00a0of the USDA-ARS Grape Genetics Research Unit, will continue to accelerate the pace of discovery. Under Matt\u2019s continued leadership (he was a PI in VitisGen2), this third installment will allow researchers to understand and share how to best deploy the genetic resources to bring more than a decade of work across the finish line\u2014with Bruce, Lance and many previous and new researchers enthusiastically involved.<\/p>\n The project, officially titled \u201cCompleting the Grapevine Powdery Mildew Resistance Pipeline: From Genes-on-the-Shelf to Sticks-in-the-Ground<\/a>\u201d<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and known informally as Vitis<\/em>Gen3, aims to use cutting-edge technologies to advance grape breeding and sustainable grape production, completing the pipeline for disease-resistant vines from genes to vineyards to consumers. An important primary objective for this work is to conclusively test candidate genes to confirm the resistance or susceptibility they confer. This often-overlooked step in molecular breeding will remove the guesswork from breeding using these genes\u2014it\u2019s what\u2019s meant by \u201cgenes on the shelf\u201d in the project title. New tools for in-field, AI-enabled phenotyping will help breeders objectively analyze infinite numbers of vines for individuals with traits of current or future interest. This high-tech phenotyping info also will help vineyard managers to detect diseases early (before visual symptoms appear), estimate crop load and quantify vineyard variability. Plus, knowing that being \u201cresistant\u201d to disease does not mean \u201cimmune,\u201d the team will develop epidemiologically based management programs that effectively and sustainably keep vines clean. A robust extension objective will train vineyard managers and extension agents across the U.S. in their use.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope to use current technologies to resolve our understanding of how specific genes in grapes overcome powdery mildew, a common fungal disease that can reduce photosynthesis, defoliate vines and increase the risk of winter damage,\u201d Matt says. \u201cA collaborative approach to solving\u2014and preserving\u2014powdery mildew resistance in grapevines brings scientific and Extension expertise from around the country together for synergistic, sustainable benefits for farmers and consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to studying the genetics of disease resistance, the researchers also will explore consumer behavior to effectively encourage the purchase of sustainably produced grape and wine products. By employing eye tracking technology, they seek to learn what features customers use in decision-making, especially in environments with a lot of information inputs, like wine shops. What does it take to effectively engage consumers and nudge them toward sustainable choices? Ask this team in four years.<\/p>\n The Vitis<\/em>Gen3 project mobilizes more than two dozen scientists from institutions across the country, including the USDA\u2019s Agricultural Research Service and Breeding Insight, and these 12 universities: Cornell University, Michigan State University, Missouri State University, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, University of Arkansas, University of California – Davis, University of Georgia, University of Maryland – Eastern Shore, University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech and Washington State University.<\/p>\n