Wine crops, Vitis vinifera L., are a cultural inheritance in the Grand-duchy of Luxembourg. The wine and life-wine-related museums rooted in the Moselle region (Ehnen, Bech-Kleinmacher) are worth more than one visit. Luxembourg vineyards are very important in the economic and social plan but sensitive to the attack of diseases which are detrimental for the crop.

The principal diseases are the powdery mildew oidium, the downy mildew, the grey mould or Botrytis bunch rot/Botrytis rot. These three parasitic diseases are related to fungi which develop in wet conditions. The dry areas are thus, not very concerned.

The downy mildew is caused by a microscopic fungus (Plasmopara viticola) which attacks the leaves and the grapes. It produces a said yellowish tasks or “oil tasks” on the leaves, then the lower part of the leaves end up covered with white felting caused by mildew on the lower part of a wine-leaf. This fungus is also responsible for the tanning and drying of the grape-grains. The mildew contamination does not hibernate on the crop.

The powdery mildew oidium (Uncinula necator --sexual stage--, Oidium tuckeri --asexual stage) develops at the surface of the wine’s green bodies. Its presence is detected on the leaves by diffuse tasks of a white-grey dust. If the contamination takes place at inflorescent times, the grape-grains fall and if it takes place later, the grains are covered with grey powder, then they burst. The oidium hibernates on the crop. A first attack is a warning for the following year when for once it can be assured that the disease will be declared again.

Grey mould or Botrytis bunch rot/Botrytis rot (Botryotinia fuckeliana --sexual stage rare!--, Botrytis cinerea--asexual stage--) attack mainly the grape-grains. These turn brown then rot while being covered with a grey felting. In fact, the type of vines with thin skins are the most sensitive.

 

The input of harmful phyto-pesticides is heavily seen in wine crops. Moreover, the far-flung use of chemicals employed to control these diseases bring about serious economic consequences and exert influence on  wine quality as well as damage to the environment and human health. The intensive consummation of these products has lead to the development of resistances of micro-organisms to several fungicides. Due to their high toxicity, a myriad of these merchandise are on the way to prohibition. Indeed, an EU decree (Official Journal September 24th, 2002) has banned the utilization of more than one hundred active molecules in agriculture, including fungicides which are represented by many marketed products. A fixed deadline (December 31st, 2007) enlightened the need to reduce the application of fungicides and develop products harmless to the environment.

Our pioneer strategy in the Grand-duchy began in 2003. Since then, a national collection of pathogens was successfully established at the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) in Luxembourg. Even if a very short passage through the Centre de Recherche Public Gabriel Lippmann did not experience a fuller development,  this little episode did not eclipse the years of effort at the MNHN of Luxembourg and BioProDev now proposes a solid alternative of research to improve protection of wine-crops in Luxembourg.

These strategies dare to finally be a true long term-option in the use of pesticides for wine growers. The visionary open-mind of the wine growers from the Domain Cep D’Or, Hëttermillen (Luxembourg/Moselle) cue and always support this innovative research. 

The controlled stimulation of the plant defence mechanisms is an alternative to the use of pesticide products. Our activity (applied research) on the vineyards consist in the activation of wine tree defences by elicitors and bio-products in order to test the efficacy of more effective formulations developed by our French public, Swiss public and private partners (fundamental research).

The Swiss bioproduct is currently under investigation in Switzerland. Our French and Swiss partners bring their scientific knowledge and provide us with products (elicitors & bio-products) which we test. Elicitors are currently defined as a physical, chemical or biological stimulus that triggers defence responses in plants. In addition, one French private firm supply us with its formulations. It is important to state that these goods are available in the French market and thus already underwent the process of homologation. Ergo, they are currently in phase of tests in France (Champagne, Bourgogne and Bordeaux) and also in the Grand-duchy of Luxembourg (Hëttermillen).

The management of the patent rights remains confidential between the concerned partners Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Bourgogne (Dijon-France), Fribourg Universty (Switzerland), BioProDev S.C. & Domaine Cep D’Or (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) in collaboration with private partners (France).