Growing wine grapes in Florida’s hot, humid climate is no easy feat. The fruit often succumbs to disease, crops get decimated, and the surrounding economy suffers. But researchers at UF are tackling this dilemma by harvesting the first crop of potentially disease-resistant wine grapes in the state.
This breakthrough could dramatically shift the landscape of Florida’s viticulture (the cultivation and harvesting of grapes) and improve agrotourism.
One particular grape variety – harvested at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Fla. – is already showing promising signs of resistance to Pierce’s disease, which lives in the water-conducting system of grapevines and spreads from plant to plant by sap-feeding insects.
A team at the University of California, Davis developed these resilient grapes, and UF researchers are working to prove the fruit can be grown effectively in Florida.
“We see these grapes are doing well,” said Ali Sarkhosh, Ph.D., a UF/IFAS associate professor whose research was funded by the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services viticulture program. “It is very exciting. It could be a really great opportunity for agrotourism.”
The success of this harvest could also open the door to more traditional wine operations in Florida, where the diversity of wine output has been limited. Muscadine grapes have mostly been known to thrive in the heat of the Sunshine State.
And Pierce’s disease has historically been a formidable challenge for Florida viticulture. The disease stops the water-spreading vessels inside grapevines, leading to severe water stress and vine death, and costing vineyards hundreds of millions of dollars every year. So far, no method has been found to fully prevent the disease, making genetic resistance a critical focus for researchers.
In the 1920s, grapes covered the Florida landscape, but Pierce’s disease – among other factors – wiped out most of the industry, causing the grape leaves to fall off and the fruit to shrivel. Given that there are limited treatments, farmers are encouraged to remove plants that get Pierce’s disease in order to prevent the spread.
Choosing disease-resistant varieties could provide farmers in Florida with more growing options and ultimately lead to a major boost to the state’s nascent wine industry.
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
WHY FOOD IS OUR MIDDLE NAME
Feeding a hungry world takes effort. Nearly everything we do comes back to food: from growing it and getting it to consumers, to conserving natural resources and supporting agricultural efforts. Explore all the reasons why at ifas.ufl.edu/food or follow #FoodIsOurMiddleName.
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