The presentation “Towards Sustainable Viticulture: An Expert View on IPM, DRV/PIWI and Genetic Innovation” was held at the EUAWE Conference 2025 on the 14th-17th May 2025 by Katharina Kleiner, research associate and co-leader of Work Package 1 (WP1) in the Horizon Europe–funded GrapeBreed4IPM project. She presented key results from expert surveys and national panel discussions, conducted in collaboration with Prof. Marc Dressler, Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen and leader of WP1.
The study explores expert perspectives on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), disease-resistant varieties (DRV/PIWI), and New Genomic Techniques (NGT) across six European countries. Although viticulture accounts for only about 4% of agricultural land, it uses nearly two-thirds of all fungicides, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable alternatives.
A key result: The estimated share of winegrowers currently applying IPM is, on average, just 43% across all surveyed countries. This low level of implementation highlights the need for coordinated action at the European level, particularly in light of increasingly ambitious environmental goals and regulatory pressure. Experts also expressed major concerns about the resilience of wine producers under stricter plant protection regulations. If conventional crop protection tools are further restricted without viable alternatives, a large share of vineyards across Europe could be at risk. In France, this risk was estimated to affect up to 90% of producers; in Italy, more than 50%. Similar concerns were expressed in other countries, confirming the urgent need for political, economic, and technological support. Country-specific priorities, France and Germany place stronger emphasis on social sustainability, while Spain stands out for its ecological focus. Italy follows a strategic path toward NGT, while DRV/PIWI is considered essential for future IPM approaches in countries like Germany.
