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The Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) is organising the 13th "International Symposium on Grapevine Breeding and Genetics" on the topic of "Pioneering Wines (PIWIs) - Innovation and Tradition" from 10 to 17 June. Renowned breeding researchers from 22 countries will discuss at the high-ranking international symposium in Landau (Palatinate). It is held under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).
"If research and grapevine breeding do not develop solutions for the problems of winegrowers - especially in the form of disease-resistant and climate-adapted varieties - it will become increasingly difficult to ensure economically viable viticulture with the required quality against the background of the EU's 'Farm to Fork' strategy. This will have a long-term impact on the cultural landscape in the wine-growing regions," said JKI President Frank Ordon. The researcher sees the breeding of new grape varieties and their successful market launch as a way out of the crisis threatened by climate change, leading to greater diversity in vineyards.
"The clearly noticeable effects of climate change and the enduring demand for viticulture to be as sustainable as possible with fewer pesticides are an incentive for research to elucidate the genetics behind vine traits and to find methods to make the breeding process more efficient," explained Prof. Dr. Reinhard Töpfer, the head of the JKI's Institute of Grapevine Breeding. "The GBG Symposium is the platform to exchange new findings, methods and techniques, but also to discuss the potential of old varieties or wild species that are preserved in gene banks."
The conference programme offers lectures and discussion on resistant new varieties, on the collection and evaluation of genetic resources to options for improving traditional varieties with new breeding techniques.
(uka / Photo: Wikipedia - Glysiak)