Treatment For Mildew Being Developed By University And Organic Vineyard

Published on: 30 Aug, 2022
Updated on: 29 Aug, 2022

A common fungal disease that has plagued the UK’s vineyards could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a sustainable farming process being developed by the University of Surrey and its commercial partners including Surrey’s Albury Vineyard.

Autumn at Albury Vineyard (2018).

Nick Wenman, the owner of Albury Vineyard, said: “Downy mildew can cause significant damage to grapevines, not only in organic and biodynamic vineyards such as Albury but to all farmers in the UK’s rapidly growing viticulture industry.

“We are undertaking field trials using the product Larixyne, and preliminary results are looking promising. We are delighted, as the University of Surrey’s local vineyard, to be involved in the project.”

The university, together with Bioextractions Wales, a pharmaceutical company that specialises in compound extractions, has been awarded £407,000 to commercialise a treatment against downy mildew, which will reduce the use of copper-based products presently used to control the disease in vineyards.

Researchers have found that larch bark produces chemicals that can control this disease and can be used to treat English vineyards. Other collaborators of the 24-month project include Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Swiss partner FiBL.

Professor Dulcie Mulholland from the University of Surrey and an expert in organic chemistry, said it will be using UK larch tree bark to produce the organic plant protection product, Laryxine.

She said: “This project has the potential to improve the sustainability, productivity and resilience of UK farming on a path to net zero.

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