Context

WinEsca

Location

Published on 4/12/23 | Modified on 4/14/23

Pau, France, IPREM research institute / IBEAS building
Institute of Analytical Sciences and Physical Chemistry for the Environment and Materials

Facts

Published on 4/12/23 | Modified on 4/26/23

Duration: 2022-2026

Financial contribution: €3.83M

  • ANR: €1.2M
  • UPPA/CNRS: €871,000
  • Hennessy: €800,000
  • GreenCell: €400,000
  • Other partners: €558,000 (University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INSERM, INRAE, University of Reims Champagne Ardenne)

Organization

  • Project holder: University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour (UPPA)
  • Project coordinators: Patrice Rey and Eleonore Attard
  • Science: 8 international research units and 36 people involved
  • Voir la page en français

Context: Grapevine Trunk Diseases

Published on 4/14/23

As was the case for earlier vine-health crises (powdery and downy mildews, phylloxera) at the end of the 19th century, the viticulture sector is now confronted with equally vast upheavals, such as climate change, the major crisis of Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) epidemic, mainly due to Esca and high societal expectations for an environmentally-friendly viticulture.

As regards GTDs, which re-emerged in the late 1990s, it took a mere two decades for Esca, the most frequent one, to become a subject of major concern for many viticulture regions in France, the EU and numerous non-EU vineyards.

Esca is caused by a broad range of fungal pathogens such as Phaeomoniella chlamydospora (Pch), Phaeoacremonium minimum (Pm), Fomitiporia mediterranea (Fm), which attack grapevine wood tissues, inducing necroses(1,2). Fungal colonisation and degradation of the wood can reach a critical point when the functional tissues, i.e. the plant vessels, are severely damaged, thus interfering with the vine physiology and, frequently resulting in plant death.

Esca therefore decreases vineyard longevity, thereby affecting wine quality(3) and causing huge economic losses throughout the viticulture sector. In France, over the period 2012-2017, the proportion of unproductive vineyard area was some 12%, with Esca being the principal cause (B. Doublet, French Ministry of Agriculture). The ensuing losses were estimated at some 1 billion euros in France alone. Concerning Cognac vineyards in Charentes, the crop losses have increased sharply over the past 15 years, being estimated at around 18% of the potential.

Internal degradation of the wood: external foliar symptoms, death of the vines which is often slow, sometimes lightning fast.

As no effective control treatments currently exist since the ban of sodium arsenate in Europe in the early 2000s, the situation has, understandably, triggered great apprehension in the viticulture sector. The re-emergence of Esca also occurred against a background of strong consumer demand for an environmentally-friendly viticulture.

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(1) Úrbez-Torres J.R. 2011. Phyto. Med., 5:5-45.

(2) Bertsch C. et al. 2013. Plant Pathol., 62: 243-265.

(3) Lorrain B. et al. 2012. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res., 18:64-72.