World-first NZ study could cut chemical use in wine sector

A world-first genome study underway in Canterbury could help cut use of chemical sprays in the wine industry by as much as 80%.

The research aims to identify natural genetic traits that make grapevines more resistant to disease, reducing the need for fungicides and boosting productivity for growers.

Scientists at Lincoln University have installed an MGI DNBSEQ-G400 genome sequencer, a next-generation DNA reading machine, which is enabling them to run tens of thousands of tests on grapevines at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods.

Associate Professor Christopher Winefield, Department of Wine, Food & Molecular Biosciences at Lincoln University, says it’s the first time the sequencing platform has been used to support wine-related research in New Zealand.

“Vineyards are heavily reliant on chemicals to fight fungal disease and that can come at a cost to the soil microbiome, long-term crop health and the environment. With this technology, we’re now able to scale up our studies dramatically and look for grape varieties that are naturally resistant to disease.

“You’re never going to get to zero but by identifying and cultivating naturally disease-resistant vines, and by targeting interventions only where they’re truly needed, we can massively reduce chemical input. Even removing a single spray late in the season has multiple benefits; it lowers costs, reduces residue risks in wine and lessens the environmental burden.”

Early findings from the grapevine research suggest that chemical spray use could be cut by as much as 80% in some cases.

The genomic platform allows researchers to detect the presence and spread of diseases like powdery mildew or mealy bug in real time, enabling farmers to spray only where needed.

“What this unlocks is a move from broad-spectrum, scheduled spraying to data-driven, localised treatment,” says Professor Winefield. “That means fewer chemicals in the environment, lower resistance pressure on pests and pathogens and a better product at the end of the day, whether that’s milk, grapes or meat.”

“What we’re doing isn’t genetic modification it's about identifying and working with natural variation to breed better and more resilient plants.”

Professor Winefield says the project is one of the first of its kind and is expected to inform not only viticulture breeding programmes, but also other crop research relevant to the brewing and horticulture industries.

He is now seeking investors to back the development of a standalone company that will dramatically scale up the testing capacity already proven in the lab. The new venture plans to process more than a million samples per year initially, with the potential to scale to 10 million tests annually within five years.