NORTHWEST GRAPE FOUNDATION SERVICE

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0213061
• Project Start Date: Dec 1, 2007
• Project End Date: Nov 30, 2012
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
240 FRENCH ADMINISTRATION BLDG
PULLMAN,WA 99164-0001

Performing Department
Prosser Irrigated Ag Res & Ext Center

Non Technical Summary
The Pacific Northwest (PNW) represents a growing segment of premium wines in the U.S. and is also the leading producer of juice grapes in the U.S. The PNW, which includes Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, has 65,000 acres of grapes with a farm gate value of over $200,000,000. Washington State ranks second in the nation for production of premium wine and first in Concord grape juice. As the industry matures, ageing vineyards and periodic winter freezes create the need for certified plants, which are locally and regionally grown and tested, to renew vineyards. Disease-free plants are also needed to comply with international trade agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). With the establishment of WTO, the U.S. and other member countries agreed to comply with the standards set by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) when adopting plant quarantine measures. Under IPPC rules, growers are required to plant certified vines or drop existing quarantines which protect grape growers from introduced diseases. Without quarantines, accidental introduction and distribution of devastating graft-transmissible diseases poses significant danger to PNW vineyards. Viral diseases cannot be controlled by chemical agents analogous to fungicides but must be controlled by phytosanitary measures such as indexing and plant certification to prevent their spread. Therefore, access to disease-free plants and a science-based program for importation, pathogen detection and exclusion, and evaluation of new plant material are vital to the continued growth of the industry. As a source for disease-free material, the foundation vineyard is a valuable resource for ongoing research by the regional land-grant universities and USDA-ARS. This project will provide the footing for both continued industry growth and evaluation of grape cultivars, clones, and rootstocks to test their suitability for wine and juice grape production in the PNW.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
205	1131	1020	10%
205	1131	1101	15%
205	1131	1170	10%
205	1139	1020	10%
205	1139	1101	15%
205	1139	1170	10%
212	1131	1101	20%
212	1131	1170	10%

Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 205 - Plant Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1131 - Wine grapes; 1139 - Grapes, general/other;

Field Of Science
1101 - Virology; 1020 - Physiology; 1170 - Epidemiology;

Keywords

vitis vinifera

vitis labruscana

viral diseases

certified rootstocks

disease free plants

pathogen detection

diagnostic

virus testing

virus indexing

virus elimination

virus free

crown gall

Goals / Objectives
Establish, expand and maintain a planting (termed foundation vineyard) of virus-free and crown-gall-free grape cultivars at WSU's Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center at Prosser (WSU-IAREC) to serve the needs of Pacific Northwest (PNW: WA, OR, ID) grape researchers and growers; Using the best methods available for virus indexing, test and retest all cultivars from Objective 1 on a regular basis; and Develop and distribute educational materials promoting the use of disease-free propagation material.

Project Methods
The most appropriate and promising grapevine selections for the PNW will be obtained to represent a diverse range of cvs., clones, and rootstocks. A Foundation Block Advisory Group (FBAG) was established consisting of university researchers, extension specialists and industry personnel from WA, OR & ID. FBAG meets regularly and will advise in all manners related to activities of NWGFS and to assist in cv. identification and selection. FBAG identifies the number of cvs./clones that can annually be introduced into the program. Industry reps propose selections that can be introduced as either public or private (proprietary) selections. Private selections differ from public selections in that the sponsor will retain ownership of the plant material but will be required to pay for all costs associated with introduction, virus indexing, and maintenance. Selection is followed by acquisition of hardwood cuttings rooted and potted for growth in the greenhouse. Virus-testing of these plants, by WSU or an outside accredited facility, as appropriate, for graft-transmissible agents where required, will be done 4 to 5 months following initial growth. Diagnostic tests used for disease detection and indexing are those accepted by the N. Amer. Plant Protection Organization, but subject to change in response to changes in pathogen information and appropriate technologies. A plantlet will be made from each growing tip of the initial potted greenhouse plant by aseptic micro-tip tissue culture procedures. Shoot tips will be surface-sterilized prior to establishment on nutrient medium in agar, resulting in a plant free of crown-gall bacteria and potentially free of any virus or virus-like organism that may be present in the original cutting. Several plantlets from the initial selection will be propagated in this manner and transferred to pots as soon as sufficient growth has been achieved. Four to five months after potting of the tip-cultured plantlets, lab indexing will be done for currently known viruses. Once a selection is approved for growth in the field, 5 plants from a single original shoot tip will be planted in the foundation vineyard located at WSU-Prosser. The vineyard is a secure site never planted to grapevines and has been tested for and is free of nematodes that transmit virus diseases to grapevine. All other tip-derived plantlets will be destroyed so all plants and resulting propagation material can be traced to a single shoot tip from a single vine source. Selections will be registered with WSDA following ampelographic observations and/or DNA typing. Care of the planting will follow stringent sanitation practices meeting WSDA requirements to minimize the chance of virus introduction by controlling virus vectors such as dagger nematodes and mealybugs. Hardwood cuttings will be collected each winter and distributed based on a priority list. Information on the importance of using clean plant material will be developed in collaboration with industry and communicated to growers and nurseries through grower meetings, web-based communication and through viticulture and plant pathology extension programs that have been established throughout WA, OR & ID.

Progress 12/01/07 to 11/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Northwest Grape Foundation Service was renamed 'Clean Plant Center - Northwest Grapes' in 2012. The number of grape selections from worldwide sources held in the Foundation Block at Washington State University's Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center at Prosser, WA, was increased to 227 in 2012. An additional 111 selections have been acquired and are currently being tested. Current selections total 338 and include multiple clones of wine, juice, table, and ornamental grape cultivars and rootstocks of importance to the grape-related industries of the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) and throughout the U.S. All available selections are listed on the center's website (http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/nwgfs). All selections planted in the Foundation Block were tested for and found free of virus and bacterial diseases as per our Standard Operating Procedures. Each year, more than 10,000 dormant hardwood cuttings and several hundred mist-propagated potted plants were distributed to nurseries, growers, and researchers nationwide. Educational and extension programs and materials for growers were developed and distributed regarding the value of virus-free plant material and of cultivar and rootstock diversification and use. Activities included development of print and teaching materials, online information (http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/virology), as well as oral presentations at industry meetings, workshops, and field days with grower groups. PARTICIPANTS: Markus Keller, Professor-Dept. Horticulture
Naidu Rayapati, Associate Professor-Dept. of Plant Pathology
Ken Eastwell, Professor-Department of Plant Pathology
Gary Ballard technician. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nurseries through print, telephone, and web-based outreach and, workshops, industry meetings, and field days; grape growers and winemakers through print, telephone, TV, and web-based outreach and, workshops, industry meetings, field days, tailgate meetings, and on-site visits; undergraduate and graduate students, and continued-education certificate students (primarily in Horticulture and in Viticulture and Enology) through classroom and online education. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The Clean Plant Center - Northwest Grapes and associated programs continue to make a strong impact on nurseries and vineyards throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, as documented by the continued heavy demand for propagation material over the last five years. The Foundation Block has expanded rapidly to become a regional service center serving the grape, juice, and wine industries, primarily in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, but increasingly in many other states and in Canada as well. Approximately half of all grower requests for inclusion of grape selections in the Foundation Block comes from wine and table grape industries outside of Washington. Nurseries and growers throughout the region and elsewhere are buying virus-tested plant material so that future plantings will be free of debilitating virus and bacterial diseases. Our websites (http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/nwgfs and http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/virology) have developed into critical sources of information on clean plants and questions regarding their use.

Publications

• Poojari S., O.J. Alabi, P. Okubara, N.A. Rayapati. 2012. Detection and Discrimination of Grapevine Leafroll-Associated Viruses by Real-Time PCR and Amplicon Melting Curve Analysis. Proc. of the 17th Cong. of the Internat. Council for the Study of Virus and Virus-like Diseases of the Grapevine. Pp. 130-131.
• Poojari S., O.J. Alabi, N.A. Rayapati. 2012. Genome Sequence Analysis of Grapevine Leafroll-associated Virus 2 Isolate from Own-Rooted, Asymptomatic Wine Grape Cultivar. Proc. of the 17th Congr. of the Internat. Council for the Study of Virus and Virus-like Diseases of the Grapevine. Pp. 68-69.
• Kanuya E., L.A. Clayton, N.A. Rayapati, A.V. Karasev. 2012. First report of Grapevine Fleck Virus in Idaho wine grapes. Plant Disease. 96:1705.

Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The number of grape selections from worldwide sources held in the Foundation Block at Washington State University's Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center at Prosser, WA, was increased to 196 in 2011. An additional 112 selections have been acquired and are currently being tested. Selections include multiple clones of wine, juice, table, and ornamental grape cultivars and rootstocks of importance to the grape-related industries of the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) and throughout the U.S. All available selections are listed on the website of the Northwest Grape Foundation Service (http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/nwgfs/current). All selections were tested for and found free of virus and bacterial diseases as per our Standard Operating Procedures. More than 10,000 dormant hardwood cuttings and 650 mist-propagated potted plants of 218 virus-free selections were distributed to nurseries, growers, and researchers. Educational and extension programs and materials for growers were developed and distributed regarding the value of virus-free plant material and of cultivar and rootstock diversification and use. Activities included development of print and teaching materials, online information (http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/virology), as well as oral presentations at industry meetings, workshops, and field days with grower groups. PARTICIPANTS: Markus Keller, Naidu Rayapati, Ken Eastwell, and Gary Ballard TARGET AUDIENCES: Nurseries, grape growers, winemakers PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The Northwest Grape Foundation Service and associated research programs continue to have a very significant impact on nurseries and vineyards throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, as documented by the strong increase in requests for and distribution of propagation material over the last five years. The Foundation Block has expanded rapidly to become a regional service center serving the grape, juice, and wine industries, primarily in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, but increasingly in many other states and in Canada as well. As a result, this program was integrated in 2011 into the National Clean Plant Network. Approximately half of all grower requests for inclusion of grape selections in the Foundation Block now comes from wine and table grape industries outside of Washington. Nurseries and growers throughout the region and elsewhere are buying virus-tested plant material so that future plantings will be free of debilitating viruses and bacterial diseases. Our websites (http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/nwgfs/current and http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/virology) have developed into one-stop shops for information on clean plants and questions regarding their use.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The number of grape selections from worldwide sources held in the Foundation Block at Washington State University's Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center at Prosser, WA, was increased to 173 in 2010. Selections include multiple clones of wine, juice, table, and ornamental grape cultivars and rootstocks of importance to the grape-related industries of the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) and throughout the U.S. All available selections are listed on the website of the Northwest Grape Foundation Service (http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/nwgfs/current). All selections were tested for and found free of virus and bacterial diseases as per our Standard Operating Procedures. More than 5000 dormant hardwood cuttings and mist-propagated potted plants of 150 virus-free selections were distributed to nurseries, growers, and researchers in the Pacific Northwest and nationwide. PARTICIPANTS: Markus Keller, Ken Eastwell, Naidu Rayapati, Gary Ballard, Washington State University, Prosser WA. TARGET AUDIENCES: none PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The Northwest Grape Foundation Service and associated research programs continue to have a very significant impact on nurseries and vineyards throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, as documented by the strong increase in requests for and distribution of propagation material over the last five years. The Foundation Block has expanded rapidly to become a regional service center serving the grape, juice, and wine industries, primarily in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, but increasingly in many other states and in Canada as well. As a result, approximately half of all grower requests for inclusion of grape selections in the Foundation Block now come from wine and table grape industries outside of Washington. Nurseries and growers throughout the region and elsewhere are now buying virus-tested plant material, so that future plantings will be free of debilitating virus and bacterial diseases. Our websites (http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/nwgfs/current and http://wine.wsu.edu/research-extension/plant-health/virology) have developed into one-stop shops for information on clean plants and questions regarding their use.

Publications

• Keller, M. 2010. The Science of Grapevines: Anatomy and Physiology. Book.

Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Pacific Northwest grape-related industries, in collaboration with Washington State University (WSU), continue to implement a long-term strategy for the introduction and augmentation of disease-free planting stock. This program expands and safeguards grapevine certification and propagation by the Northwest Grape Foundation Service (NWGFS), managed by WSU with industry oversight. The NWGFS serves industry needs in the states of OR, ID and WA. All new acquisitions routinely undergo shoot-tip propagation to eliminate crown gall and comprehensive virus indexing before and after planting in the Foundation Vineyard. Grape selections (approximately 30/year) are usually acquired from Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis, propagated, laboratory-indexed, and planted in the Foundation Vineyard. PARTICIPANTS: Markus Keller, Ken Eastwell, Naidu Rayapati, Gary Ballard WSU-Prosser TARGET AUDIENCES: Grape growers, nurseries, regulatory agencies PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Disease-free plants are the foundation of a healthy grape industry and are also needed to comply with international trade agreements (WTO and NAFTA). With the establishment of WTO, the USA and other member countries agreed to comply with the standards set by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Under IPPC rules, growers are required to plant certified vines or drop existing quarantines which protect them from introduced diseases. Without quarantines, accidental introduction of devastating diseases poses a significant threat to PNW vineyards. Access to disease-free plants and a science-based program for introduction and testing of new plant material are vital to the continued growth of the industry.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Pacific Northwest grape-related industries, in collaboration with Washington State University (WSU), continue to implement a long-term strategy for the introduction and augmentation of disease-free planting stock. This program expands and safeguards grapevine certification and propagation by the Northwest Grape Foundation Service (NWGFS), managed by WSU with industry oversight. The NWGFS serves industry needs in the states of OR, ID and WA. All new acquisitions routinely undergo micro-tip propagation to eliminate crown gall and comprehensive virus indexing before and after planting in the Foundation Vineyard. Grape selections (ca. 30/year) are acquired from Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis, propagated, laboratory-indexed, and planted in the Foundation Vineyard. PARTICIPANTS: M. Keller. K. Eastwell, N. Rayapati, G. Ballard TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The Pacific Northwest (PNW) represents a growing segment of premium wines in the USA and is also the nation's leading producer of juice grapes. The PNW, which includes Oregon, Idaho and Washington, has over 75,000 acres of grapes, and the combined PNW grape-related industries add over $4.5 billion to the regional economy each year. Disease-free plants are the foundation of a healthy grape industry and are also needed to comply with international trade agreements (WTO and NAFTA). With the establishment of WTO, the USA and other member countries agreed to comply with the standards set by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Under IPPC rules, growers are required to plant certified vines or drop existing quarantines which protect them from introduced diseases. Without quarantines, accidental introduction of devastating diseases poses a significant threat to PNW vineyards. Access to disease-free plants and a science-based program for introduction and testing of new plant material are vital to the continued growth of the industry. The program currently holds 224 grape selections (see http://nwgfs.wsu.edu for a list of available selections), and about 30 new selections are added each year.

Publications

• No publications reported this period