History of breeding programmes for fungus resistant grape varieties in Europe, France and the Occitanie region

Abstract

Fungus tolerant grape varieties (RVs) are emerging as a promising solution in a viticultural context characterised by growing societal, environmental, and regulatory tensions. Since the 1930s, several countries have launched research programmes that aim at developing disease-resistant hybrids. Today, 66 resistant grape varieties are registered in at least one of the European catalogues. The historical overview and dynamic integration of RV have not been the subject of a large number of scientific articles. This makes it necessary to explore grey literature such as Vitisphère (www.vitisphere.com), a French daily online magazine created in 2000 specialised in wine industry. Through a press review, this article provides historical background to European breeding programmes and an overview of their perception in France and Occitanie, gathering over 543 articles on the topic of RVs published between 2009 and end June 2024.