Guardians of the Belgian Vines: Tracking Pathogens and Raising Plant Health Awareness

Belgium is well known for its beers and chocolates but... what if your next glass of wine came from Belgium? You'd be surprised! And yet, Belgium is experiencing remarkable growth in vine cultivation, with the cultivated land area almost tenfold in 15 years, reaching a surface area of 802 hectares, enabling the production of 3 million liters of wine.
If this is good news for wine and grape lovers, we still need to be alert! This promising growth faces a significant challenge: the threat of vine pathogens such as viruses, viroids, and phytoplasmas. Quarantine and Regulated pathogens, like Flavescence Dorée phytoplasma (RQP) or Grapevine Leafroll-associated Virus (GLRaV) and Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV)(RNQP), have been reported in neighboring countries like France. But what about Belgium?
We currently need to gain knowledge about vine pathogens in Belgium. We aim to fill this gap by examining the presence, incidence, and geographic distribution of viruses, viroids, and phytoplasmas in Belgian viticulture, focusing on regulated pathogens. We are also exploring the genetic diversity of viral species infecting Belgian vines compared to other regions worldwide and evaluating the effectiveness of current diagnostic tools to support surveillance. Additionally, vine stakeholders will be trained to identify symptoms caused by phytosanitary-important pathogens.
This surveillance is crucial to protect the flourishing growth of Belgian viticulture against devastating diseases. By identifying the pathogens in our vineyards, we can develop tailor-made control strategies, reducing the risk of epidemics and major economic losses.

[@dannymahmutagic5824]

Bravo Lavena!

[@fauvemaertens3813]

What a nice video! You shed light on Belgium's blossoming wine scene with such clarity and insight!