Marlborough Grapevine Trunk Disease and Remediation Workshop

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTD) threaten economic sustainability, shortening the lifespan of vineyards and causing significant yield and quality reductions. With no curative treatments available, remedial surgery is one of the few options for managing GTD.  

A five-year project concluded this year that established best practice guidelines for managing GTD through remedial surgery, including the optimal time and season to conduct remedial surgery. It evaluated vine health and productivity of Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for five growing seasons in Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay.  

Join lead researchers Dr Mark Sosnowski from SARDI and Dr Eline van Zijll de Jong from Linneaus to hear the project findings into grapevine trunk disease and grapevine remediation, about how we can optimise our GTD management and tools for extending the life of our vineyards. 

This workshop will include a demonstration and in-field presentation by Mark and Eline, and a Q&A to follow.  

Mark has a PhD in Plant Pathology and is currently Sub-Program Leader, Horticulture Pathology at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). Mark has led research in Australia and New Zealand on managing grapevine trunk disease for the past 20 years and is the Australasian regional councillor on the International Council for Grapevine Trunk Diseases. Mark draws on his vast research knowledge and extensive international experience and collaboration to provide industry with the latest information for effective management of grapevine diseases. 

Eline joined the team at Linnaeus Laboratory in Gisborne in 2016 with more than 15 years of research experience in applied microbiology and molecular biology. Since then, she has been actively involved in four New Zealand Winegrower projects investigating trunk disease and its management. In her current role as Lead Scientist at Linnaeus, Eline works closely with Riversun Nursery to improve production and quality of grafted grapevines for the wine industry.