4 years and nearly €4 million to find a solution for Esca

fficially launched on 5 April 2023 in Pau, South-West France, WinEsca is designed to provide the wine industry with agro-ecological solutions for protecting vines against Esca, a grapevine trunk disease that is causing increasing amounts of damage.

This is the first industrial chair in the field of agronomy in France. It is supported by 1.2 million euros in funding from the national research institute (ANR), out of a total €3.83 million. The balance of the funding is provided by the University of Pau and Adour region, leading Cognac company Hennessy (€800,000), GreenCell, a firm specialising in bio-control, and a range of other partners (Bordeaux University, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INSERM, INRAE and the University of Reims Champagne Ardenne).

“WinEsca follows on from a first chair, ‘GTDfree’, launched in 2016 whose scientific progress now paves the way for practical methods for combatting the disease”, claimed ANR. The organisation is fully aware of the urgent need for action, as Esca “has been on the increase since the ban on use of sodium arsenite in 2001”. This has made 12% of French area under vine and 18% of Cognac vineyards unproductive, equating to a loss of one billion euros for the industry.

The consortium coordinated by Patrice Rey and Eléonore Attard will focus its efforts on preventative methods of combatting Esca, with research into beneficial pruning techniques and application of bio-control agents at planting, through to 2026.