Huge resources rolled out to rid French vineyards of flavescence dorée

Despite thousands of hours of surveys and application of insecticide treatments, year after year the number of hectares affected by flavescence dorée continues to increase”, lamented researchers from the National Programme against Vine Dieback (PNDV).

To optimise collective control and reduce the epidemic, the French Institute of Vine and Wine (IFV) and the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) will be working hand in hand as part of the Risca 2 project.

Their work will focus on several lines of attack. To limit the spread of the disease, they will first use data previously collected in several wine regions and develop a model to estimate the spread of flavescence dorée, including over long distances, which has never been tried before. “Using this knowledge, physical barriers, such as nets or hedges, will be tested to counter transfers between reservoirs and the vine”, the researchers say.

Inrae will also test a method for blocking the synthesis of a protein to which the phytoplasma attaches itself when it enters the leafhopper cells. The idea is to prevent it from colonising insects.