Past, present, and future of genetic strategies to control tolerance to the main fungal and oomycete pathogens of grapevine

An overview of the genetic improvement of grapevine for resistance to fungal and oomycete pathogens from conventional methods up to the most recent biotechnological approaches is presented. The production of high-quality wines is strictly related to the correct management of the vineyard, which guarantees good yields and grapes with the right characteristics required for subsequent vinification. Winegrowers face a variety of challenges during the grapevine cultivation cycle: the most notorious are fungal and oomycete diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew, and gray mold. If not properly addressed, these diseases can irremediably compromise the harvest, with disastrous consequences for the production and wine economy. Conventional defense methods used in the past involved chemical pesticides. However, such approaches are in conflict with the growing attention to environmental sustainability and shifts from the uncontrolled use of chemicals to the use of integrated approaches for crop protection. Improvements in genetic knowledge and the availability of novel biotechnologies have created new scenarios for possibly producing grapes with a reduced, if not almost zero, impact. Here, the main approaches used to protect grapevines from fungal and oomycete diseases are reviewed, starting from conventional breeding, which allowed the establishment of new resistant varieties, followed by biotechnological methods, such as transgenesis, cisgenesis, intragenesis, and genome editing, and ending with more recent perspectives concerning the application of new products based on RNAi technology. Evidence of their effectiveness, as well as potential risks and limitations based on the current legislative situation, are critically discussed.

Automated summary

This article provides an overview of the genetic improvement of grapevine for resistance to fungal and oomycete pathogens. The traditional method involved the use of chemical pesticides, but there is a growing interest in using integrated approaches for crop protection. Genetic knowledge and biotechnological advancements have opened up possibilities for producing grapes with reduced impact. The main methods reviewed include conventional breeding, biotechnological methods such as transgenesis and genome editing, and the application of new products based on RNAi technology.