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With a funding volume of 6.3 million euros for the next five years, the practical research project VitiFIT is getting underway. According to the Federal Association of Organic Winegrowing ECOVIN, the "joint project for maintaining the health of the vine in organic winegrowing" is intended to improve planning security for organic vineyards at various levels. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

"One of the greatest challenges in organic viticulture is plant protection. Downy mildew, in particular, can cause great concern in wet years. Copper is the method of choice to keep this aggressive fungus in check. However, the use of the heavy metal should be reduced sooner rather than later by environmentally friendly control methods, and even replaced in the medium to long term. This is exactly where the VitiFIT project comes in," says an ECOVIN press release.

VitiFIT is divided into four thematic areas: Thematic area A covers the development, optimisation and establishment of processes and technical solutions in organic viticulture to improve and stabilise vine health. Downy mildew is the focus here In Focus. Topic B is concerned with the development and further development of breeding activities for fungus-resistant grapevine varieties (PIWIs) and variety strategies as well as their market launch. The forecasting system "VitiMeteo Rebenperonospora", which is already established in viticulture, is to be supplemented in topic area C with further aspects and needs of organic viticulture and PIWI varieties. Thematic area D is about stakeholder involvement and knowledge transfer.

VitiFIT is designed as a practical research project, so that direct feedback with the winegrowers is of central importance. The Geisenheim University of Applied Sciences (HGU), the Neustadt Wine Campus, the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, the Julius Kühn Institute in Siebeldingen, the Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum (DLR) Rheinhessen-Nahe-Hunsrück and the DLR Rheinpfalz as well as the Freiburg Viticulture Institute and the Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture in Veitshöchheim are participating in the project. Other partners in the project network are the organic associations Bioland, Demeter, ECOVIN and Naturland, the companies Trifolio-M, UV-Technik Meyer and GEOsens, as well as some well-known organic wineries that act as pilot and demonstration farms.

(CS / Press release; Picture: 123RF.com / Evgeniy Muhortov)

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