Crop protection

Pathogens do not pose any problem at all in clonal selection, because of grapevine crops can be chemically protected against bacterial and fungal diseases. This is one reason why PLANSEL did not develop its own projects, but worked in close cooperation with the chemical industry and scientific research institutions. Of special mention is the fact that PLANSEL was able to respond to marketing problems with the assistance and support of the ISA Plant Protection Institute (University of Lisbon’s Prof. Pinto Ganhao, Prof. Helena Oliveira and Dr. Cecilia Rego). One exception as regards crop protection was woody stem diseases in young grapevines. During the 1980s and early 1990s almost no assistance was forthcoming from the wine industry itself. A particular problem in viticulture was and continues to be the phenomenon of necrosis in grapevines, which often leads to the death of the plant. PLANSEL searched for the solution to this problem by studying it carefully and by engaging inter‑professional collaboration. (Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Cylindrocarpon destructans, and Botryosphaeria dothidea were of chief concern.) The article entitled, Diagnosis of Woody Stem Diseases in Grapevines (Helena de Oliveira) is dedicated to the complexity of this problem which to date has not been satisfactorily resolved anywhere in the world.

Projects

• 1993: Agrobacterium Vitis Testing Programme with LaLeFo Neustadt (Dr. Schulz) in collaboration with ISA Lisbon (Helena de Oliveira).
• 1995: PAMAF/IED No. 6016 – Geographical presence, control and profiling of Botryosphaeria dothidea in grapevines. Project partners: University of the Algarve and EAN Oeiras (Phytopathology Department).
• 2000: Thermal sanitising of water for grapevine propagation material to eliminate necrotizing pathogens.