We are pleased to share a new joint publication resulting from the collaboration between Shield4Grape and GrapeBreed4IPM EU Projects.
Faced with climate change and increasing disease pressure, viticulture needs to move beyond incremental adaptation. The article explores an integrated approach to building more resilient viticultural systems, bringing together:
– broader grapevine genetic diversity and breeding strategies
– genomic tools and new genomic techniques
– clonal and somaclonal variation
– cultivar-tailored integrated pest management
– socioeconomic research, governance and regulatory frameworks
Building sustainable viticulture cannot rely on any single technology. It requires genetics, agronomy, policy and the entire grape and wine value chain to work together, with innovation serving to preserve and strengthen the diversity and identity of terroir rather than replace them.

Authors: Gambino G., Agnoli L., Chitarra W., Dressler M., Figueiredo A., de la Fuente M., Di Gaspero G., Hausmann L., Karatzas C., Laurent B., Mestre P., Perrone I., Avia K.

npj Science of Plants (2026). doi: 10.1038/s44383-026-00038-4.