Towards sustainable management of grapevine resistance to downy mildew

Downy mildew is one of the most significant diseases affecting grapevines. The current strategy for controlling this disease is the use of fungicides. An economical and environmentally friendly alternative is the use of resistant grapevine varieties. However, all cultivated European grapevine varieties are susceptible to downy mildew, and resistance must be introduced from resistant vines through a breeding programme that ensures the preservation of desirable characteristics and sustainable resistance. In 2000, INRA embarked on a breeding programme aimed at creating varieties with durable resistance. UMR 1131 (SVQV, Colmar) and UMR 1065 (SAVE, Bordeaux) are conducting a collaborative research project focusing on five interrelated research areas, each of which, in its own way, contributes to generating the knowledge essential for the sustainable management of grapevine resistance. Initial results from this project clearly show that European downy mildew populations are capable of adapting and circumventing monogenic resistance in grape varieties. These risks of circumvention must be taken into account when developing breeding programmes for new grape varieties.