Italy ceded the honor of being the world's largest wine producer to France last year. According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), global wine production fell by 9.6% compared to the previous year, totaling 237 million hectoliters (hL). This was due to climate change, which brought together natural disasters such as droughts, heatwaves, and floods.
Italy's losses were particularly significant. Last year, Italy's wine production decreased by 23.2%, making it the second largest drop after Australia (-26%). In contrast, France saw a 4.4% increase in production, overtaking Italy to become the world's largest wine producer.
Italy sought to regain the title of the world's largest wine producer by leveraging the power of science. The international journal Nature Biotechnology reported on the 6th (local time) that researchers from the University of Verona have initiated outdoor trials cultivating grapevines utilizing gene-editing technology. This outdoor cultivation trial of gene-edited grapevines is the first of its kind in Europe.
Downy mildew is a prominent fungal disease that threatens grapevines. When affected by this fungal disease, the entire vine can turn brown and wither. To combat the fungal disease, winemakers rely on fungicides. Although vineyards occupy only 2% of the total cultivated land in Europe, they account for 41% of fungicide usage in the region.
This indicates that, despite the large quantities of fungicides being used, they have not been able to prevent fungal diseases. There is a method of finding and crossbreeding wild grapevines that are resistant to mold; however, this can alter the taste of the wine, making it challenging to implement. EdiVite, a corporation created by researchers from the University of Verona, has suppressed a specific gene to prevent downy mildew, which is particularly affecting Chardonnay grapevines.
EdiVite used CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to eliminate the gene “DMR6,” which causes grapevines to become susceptible to downy mildew. Gene editing is not an actual pair of scissors; it is an enzyme complex that allows for easy cutting or editing of desired genes in DNA. Unlike gene modification, which involves inserting genes from other species that do not naturally breed, this technology corrects the crop’s own genes to express desirable traits.
Mario Pezoti, a co-founder of EdiVite and a geneticist at the University of Verona, noted, “While the gene editing itself is straightforward, the process of regenerating the grapevine is complex and requires variety-specific techniques.” In the laboratory, the gene scissors remove DMR6 from the grapevine cells. This gene-edited cell then has to be reintroduced into the grapevine for regeneration, which EdiVite successfully accomplished.
The research team began outdoor tests on the University of Verona campus starting on Sept. 30. They plan to cultivate the gene-edited grapevines in actual outdoor conditions to confirm whether they can withstand fungal diseases without fungicides. The research team aims to continue these outdoor tests until early 2025, then begin winemaking with the grapes produced in 2026. Professor Sara Zenoni, a co-founder of EdiVite, remarked, “The outdoor tests will help confirm the necessity of fungicides in practice.”
Other research groups in Italy are also embarking on similar studies. The Edmund Mach Foundation, an agricultural technology research institute in Italy, developed a Chardonnay grape variety that eliminates both DMR6 genes and is currently collaborating with other research institutions. They noted that removing just one gene provides only partial protection against downy mildew.
Europe has recently been implementing policies to ease regulations on gene-edited crops (GEOs). The European Food Safety Authority stated in a research report released last July that “the safety of gene-edited crops is equivalent to that of plants produced by traditional breeding methods.” The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety also concluded last March that varieties developed through a gene-editing method known as “new genomic techniques (NGT)” are no different from crops produced by traditional breeding techniques.
NGT refers to instances where gene editing has been carried out fewer than 20 times. As multiple research institutions have concluded that gene-edited crops are safe, the European Union (EU) and the European Parliament are also expected to soon lift regulations on gene-edited crops.
Farmers in Europe are expressing welcoming attitudes toward the new technology. Ettore Prandini, president of Coldiretti, a major farmers’ association in Italy, shifted his stance to accept NGT technology while previously opposing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Prandini even personally planted gene-edited grapevines in Verona to convey his changed position.
Kim Jin-Soo, chief technology officer (CTO) of Green Gene, a domestic expert in gene-editing technology, commented on the achievements of the Italian research team, stating, “Fungal infections are a major factor harming grape productivity, and every year a substantial amount of toxic pesticides are sprayed, adversely affecting residents' health and causing serious environmental pollution issues,” adding, “gene-edited grapes could be a good solution.”
Reference materials
Nature Biotechnology (2024), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-024-02478-8