National Grapevine Collection Coordinator

Abstract

The National Grapevine Collection (NGC) program aims to address critical challenges in the Australian grape and wine sector related to management of genetic resources, quality of grapevine propagation material and biosecurity. This project appointed an NGC Coordinator, Nick Dry, to implement a strategic framework for delivery of the NGC and to manage activities under the program. Key outputs included: establishing a governance structure to oversee the program; managing ongoing stakeholder engagement; establishing mothervines for a high security collection; supporting Nuclear Collections (WAVIA and SAVIA); identifying and virus testing the priority varieties and clones in the CSIRO and SARDI collections; virus testing the AVIA collection; collating and managing germplasm data; initiating co-funded virus elimination from key varieties; contributing to the development of the grapevine certification program and associated propagation standard; providing input and support to virus management and trunk disease research; and addressing clone identification challenges. The project also played a key role in supporting industry responses to grapevine red blotch virus (previously undetected in Australia) and an outbreak of crown gall-like symptoms.

Summary

Grapevine foundation assets help to secure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the Australian wine sector through the health, quality and integrity of its vineyards. Investment in these assets will enable industry access to grapevine varieties and clones, provide certainty on the identity and health status of planting material and address the long-term security of germplasm collections. In turn, this will provide greater assurance of varietal claims (and label integrity) on Australian wine products and help maintain our international reputation for innovation and best practice in supply chain management.

The National Grapevine Collection (NGC) program aims to address critical challenges in the Australian grape and wine sector related to management of genetic resources, quality of grapevine propagation material and biosecurity. Poor quality grapevine propagation and planting material (caused by viruses, bacterial diseases, trunk diseases, off-types, and poor performance) create significant cost burdens across the value chain, from cutting suppliers and nurseries to vineyards and wineries. The lack of visible indicators for these issues creates quality uncertainty. While nurseries and cutting suppliers have the substantial responsibility of supplying pathogen-, genetic- and performance-assured cuttings and planting material, they are limited in their abilities to fulfil their responsibilities by the absence of a science-based grapevine propagation Standard which applies across the entire supply chain. Grapevine collections are crucial for preserving genetic diversity and providing high-health, true-to-type material for the industry. As non-profit service providers, these collections require strategic, long-term support to ensure continued access to vital genetic resources and quality-assured propagation material.

The activities in the NGC adapted and evolved over the course of the project to meet the challenges presented by virus and pathogen outbreaks, issues with stakeholder alignment and the general challenges expected in a program that is attempting to implement change. Despite these challenges, the project achieved a significant number of key outputs that contribute to the core objectives of the NGC. These have set the foundations for future activities that will see the NGC embedded as a key contributor to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the Australian grape and wine sector, and are summarised below.

NGC objective 1: Protection of Australia’s grapevine genetic resources.

• Vine Integrity and Security Collection (VISC): The establishment of the VISC, focusing on slow-growth tissue culture of key cultivars, directly addresses the secure storage and preservation of grapevine genetic resources, safeguarding them against threats like Xylella fastidiosa. Initial activities to establish mothervines and conduct disease testing are a crucial step towards a secure backup of valuable germplasm.
• Rationalisation of Germplasm Collections: Activities to rationalise Germplasm Collections (AVIA, CSIRO and SARDI) included developing a pathway for access to the varieties in the CSIRO collection, identifying and virus testing 137 priority varieties and clones in the CSIRO and SARDI collections, virus testing all 216 cultivars in the AVIA collection and developing contingency options for interim storage of priority varieties and clones. These efforts all contribute to the efficient management and long-term access and preservation of valuable grapevine genetics.
• Germplasm data collation and management: Compiling existing data into a master file, including historical data and recent virus testing results, provides a basis for the development of a centrally maintained, publicly available, national database of grapevine varieties, clones, rootstocks and propagation assets (see objective 3). This will ensure the accessibility and usability of information about the collections, which is vital for their protection and effective ongoing management.
• Co-investment in virus elimination projects: Co-investment in virus elimination and propagation asset establishment demonstrated how the NGC can work with industry partners to achieve shared goals and maximise the impact of its activities. These projects serve as valuable models for future germplasm enhancement and expansion initiatives.

NGC objective 2: Facilitation and promotion of the supply of commercially relevant, healthy, true-to-type planting material to Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers.

• Grapevine certification program: Outputs from the NGC project have made significant contributions to the development of a governance structure for a certification program and the underlying science for the accompanying grapevine propagation standard. Once complete, the standard and supporting certification program will provide a framework for the supply of healthy and true-to-type vines to the grape-growing sector.
• Virus management R&D projects: Significant input and support was provided to initiate the project "Best practice sampling and virus diagnostics in Australian grapevine propagation assets" as well as research into virus vector management (scale and mealybug). Both are crucial for ensuring the health of planting material. Improved diagnostics, sampling protocols, and vector management strategies all contribute to reducing virus incidence and improving the quality of planting material.
• Grapevine trunk disease (GTD) interim management protocols: Addressing GTD in planting material through development of interim protocols for management of grapevine trunk disease in source blocks and support of ongoing research helps reduce the risks associated with these debilitating pathogens, promoting the long-term health and productivity of vineyards.
• Reliably and cost-effectively confirm the identity of propagation assets: Addressing the challenges of clone identification through support of the AWRI genomic sequencing projects and the  proposed development of a list of prime clone names and agreed nomenclature for phytosanitary treatments contribute to ensuring the trueness-to-type of planting material.
• Nuclear Collections (WAVIA and SAVIA): The initial work undertaken to support the WAVIA and SAVIA collections, including virus screening, a stocktake of genetically verified accessions, and development of management plans, is essential for providing a foundational source of healthy, true-to-type planting material.

NGC objective 3: Support of propagation supply chain activities that build and strengthen sector resilience and biosecurity outcomes.

• Establish and maintain groups and committees (IAC, SRC, PWG): The formation and active participation of these committees throughout the project engaged key stakeholders and facilitated sector input and guidance to ensure alignment of outputs with sector needs and priorities. The evolution of these groups, culminating in the proposed Standards Committee and Collections Management Committee, demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and effective governance.
• Strategy development: The development and refinement of the NGC Investment and Management Plan, along with the "NGC plan on a page," provided a roadmap for the NGC program, outlining its goals, activities, and resource allocation, with a view to long-term sustainability.
• Australian Grapevine Germplasm and Propagation Asset Register: The development of a Request for Proposal for delivery of this project by a third provider is a significant step forward, with the expected outcomes from the register contributing to improved propagation asset management, traceability and biosecurity outcomes.
• Support of project planning for area-wide virus surveillance: A number of avenues were explored to deliver a project on virus detection in vineyards at scale, using remote sensing and machine learning. While funding is still being sought, this technology is a potential game-changer for virus surveillance, particularly in source blocks – the technology will provide early detection, significant cost savings and more effective management of economically damaging grapevine virus diseases in both planting material and commercial vineyards.
• Enhancing and expanding Australia’s grapevine germplasm: Establishing links with UC Davis via their local importer is a key step towards obtaining Pierces’ Disease-resistant grapevine varieties from the USA, which will offer sector preparedness for the impact of a Xylella fastidiosa outbreak in Australia.

Wine Australia has committed to a second term of the project to build on the foundational work delivered here. Future work is required to:

• Solidify the governance structure by establishing two key committees: a Standards Committee to oversee the delivery of the grapevine certification program and a Collections Management Committee dedicated to the collections within the NGC program.
• Formalise management and support arrangements with Nuclear Collection stakeholders to ensure that there is long-term national access to high-health propagation material for source block establishment.
• Build capabilities in high security storage of germplasm through the delivery of a pilot Vine Integrity and Security Collection project to assess and evaluate the economic and technical feasibility for long-term storage of key Australian cultivars in slow-growth tissue culture.
• Initiate plans for accessing and making available the priority varieties and clones from the SARDI and CSIRO collections.
• Support the delivery of the Australian Grapevine Germplasm and Propagation Asset Register, either through the existing RFP or other means.
• Support existing and planned research, innovation and capability development projects on virus sampling and diagnostics , virus insect vectors, remote sensing for virus detection, integration of trunk disease protocols into best practices, crown gall symptoms in grapevines, and establishment of standardised clone names and phytosanitary treatment nomenclature.
• Continue to support investment into projects that will enhance and expand Australia’s grapevine germplasm.