Rootstocks and new breeding techniques

Rootstocks

Choosing suitable planting material can help growers manage vineyard risks now and into the future. Wine Australia is investing in research into rootstocks and new breeding techniques to improve resistance to important pests and develop planting material better suited to Australian conditions.

For growers and viticulturists considering new plantings or vineyard redevelopment, this work provides options to consider alongside vineyard characteristics, variety selection and future production requirements.

Why rootstocks matter

Rootstocks are currently Australia’s only defence against the soil-borne insect phylloxera, which devastated European vineyards in the late 19th century.

Learn more about phylloxera and vineyard pest and disease management.

Many imported rootstocks are not suited to Australian conditions. In 1967, CSIRO began breeding and selecting rootstocks specifically for Australian conditions. This work led to the release of three Merbein, or M-series, rootstocks in 2005.

Australian-bred rootstocks

A subsequent breeding program widened the genetic pool and focused on developing rootstocks with durable resistance to phylloxera and root knot nematodes. Wine Australia contributed funding to the evaluation of rootstock material bred by CSIRO through a series of collaborative projects from the late 1990s.

Extensive field evaluation identified four CSIRO rootstocks with commercial potential:

• C113
• C114
• C20
• C7.

The C-series rootstocks were commercially released in 2019 and contain two resistance genes against grape phylloxera and one resistance gene for root knot nematode.

Both the M-series and C-series rootstocks are protected by Plant Breeders Rights and are commercially available from a number of grapevine nurseries.

Developing the next generation of rootstocks

Current breeding work is focused on developing second-generation rootstocks with durable pest resistance and characteristics suited to Australian conditions.

These rootstocks contain two genes each for resistance to phylloxera and root knot nematodes. Marker-assisted selection is also being used to introduce traits for resilience to changing climatic conditions, including increased tolerance to:

• drought
• heat, and
• salinity.

This aligns with the broader focus on developing and evaluating varieties, clones and rootstocks that support climate resilience and sustainable vineyard practices.

Practical considerations when choosing a rootstock

Rootstock choice is an important consideration when planning a new vineyard or redevelopment.

The Grapevine Rootstock Selector can help growers identify rootstocks suited to their vineyard characteristics and variety selections. The online tool brings together recent Australian and international research on the characteristics of different rootstocks.

When assessing your options:

• consider rootstocks as part of early planning for new plantings or redevelopment
• use the Grapevine Rootstock Selector to compare rootstock characteristics against your vineyard and variety requirements
• consider pest resistance alongside characteristics such as drought, heat and salinity tolerance, where relevant, and
• speak with your local grapevine nursery about rootstock options and availability.

Rootstock research

• Durable pest resistant grapevine rootstocks and germplasm evaluation
• Rootstock genetics and improvement: new improved rootstocks with durable resistance to root-knot nematodes and phylloxera
• Rootstock genetics and improvement: tolerance to abiotic stress
• New rootstocks for Australian conditions

New breeding techniques

Using gene editing to develop improved grapevine material

Alongside conventional breeding, Wine Australia is investing with CSIRO in the development and application of gene-editing technology for winegrapes.

Gene editing enables small, targeted changes to the grapevine genome and can achieve breeding outcomes with greater speed and precision than traditional breeding.

Why this matters for growers

The aim is to develop improved clones of existing winegrape cultivars while retaining the characteristics of established varieties.

A gene-editing pipeline for improved clones of elite winegrape cultivars has been developed, and further gene targets have been identified based on priority traits determined in collaboration with the sector.

For growers and viticulturists, this research is relevant to the longer-term development of planting material with improved characteristics, including fungal pathogen tolerance and other priority traits.

Gene editing and genetic modification

Gene editing makes small, targeted changes to the grapevine genome that can be indistinguishable from naturally occurring mutations.

The regulatory treatment of gene-edited material is an important area requiring careful explanation. For information about the current definitions applying to genetically modified food, refer to the relevant regulatory authority.

Read the FSANZ media statement on updated definitions for genetically modified food.

Current gene-editing research

Wine Australia is investing in research exploring how gene editing can be used to improve existing winegrape material.

Current projects include:

• Enabling technologies for production of improved clones of existing premium winegrape varieties using ‘DNA-free’ gene-editing
• Premium winegrape varieties with improved fungal pathogen tolerance and quality traits through gene-editing