BioVine project - Increase plant health through mycorrhizal fungi
Résumé
Organic vineyards still rely on large external inputs to control harmful organisms. BIOVINE
will develop natural solutions based on plant diversity to control pests and reduce pesticide
dependence. The capacity of plants of increasing the ecosystem resistance to pests and invasive
species is a well-known ecosystem service. However, monocultures like vineyards do not
exploit the potential of plant diversity. BIOVINE aims to develop new viticultural systems
based on increased plant diversity within (e.g. cover crops) and/or around vineyards by planting
selected plant species for the control of arthropods, soil-borne pests (oomycetes, fungi,
nematodes), and foliar pathogens. Candidate plants will be identified by literature review, and
the selected ones will be tested in controlled environment or small-scale experiments. The
ability of the selected plants to: i) attract or repel target arthropod pests; ii) conserve/promote
beneficial organisms; iii) control soil-borne pests by mean of biofumigation; iv) carry
mycorrhizal fungi to vine root system to increase plant health (growth and resistance); v)
control foliar pathogens by reducing the inoculum spread from soil, will be investigated. New
viticultural systems able to exploit plant diversity will then be designed based on results of
BIOVINE activities, following a design-assessment-adjustment cycle, which will then be tested
by in-vineyard experiments for a 2-year period. Innovative viticultural systems should represent
an improved way for pest control in organic viticulture, meanwhile they should positively affect
functional biodiversity and ecosystem services.