The winters that climate change is bringing — ones that are milder on average, but still experience drops to extreme cold — could actually be worse for vineyards.
But there are other reasons to be optimistic, in the form of new techniques and cold-hardy, disease-resistant grape varieties available now, and even more technologies on the horizon — if the industry and consumers are willing to adapt, say experts.
CRISPR has myriad potential applications, from curing genetic diseases, to bioenergy, to scientific research.
But it could also help us make crops better adapted to our changing climate — and gene editing avoids some of the issues some people have with traditional genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
This is especially helpful for removing individual genes that make vinifera grapes susceptible to diseases that are becoming a bigger problem because of climate change.
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“So one of the challenges of breeding is not bringing in a bunch of traits that you don’t want in the final product. And CRISPR is seen as a technological way around this.” [said Professor Jason Londo].
The applications are still being explored, but studies indicate it could allow us to make disease-resistant Chardonnay grapes while otherwise leaving the variety completely intact.
