Disease-resistant vi ne varieties as a tool to minimize the use 01 copper

Summary

Due to the climatic conditions in some viticultural areas of Switzerland, where the annual rainfalilies between 1000 and 2000 mm, the selection of the vine cultivars for organic viticulture encounters very strong restrictions with traditional European varieties. These cir-cumstances necessitate numerous routine sprayings with fungicides. Therefore there is an increasing interest among both, organic and non organic wine growers, to use, to a certain extent, less susceptible vine cultivars. According to the site, the year, the trellising system, the management and the cultivar selected, these vines need much less or even no fungicide treatment. Blind wine tastings show that the sensoric judgment and the acceptance of wines from interspecific cultivars are within the range of traditional European varieties. Therefore, graduallY' the use of the less disease susceptible interspecific cultivars should be promoted in organic viticulture. This would allow to reduce the use of copper drastically. However, viticulture legislation in severa! countries, with regard to the selection of the variety, stili doesn't allow freedom of the grower. Legislation should be liberai and the market will finally decide upon the acceptance of new wines. The cultivation of disease resistant grape varieties, besides diminishing the use of copper, would also reduce the labour input and soil compaction by frequent sprayings. These factors are also important with regard to the reputation and credibility of organic viticulture.