Climate change is making a big impact on wine production as vines and grapes are highly susceptible to changes in weather. To grow high-quality grapes, there needs to be consistent warmth during the growing season and sufficient sunlight. Fungal and fungal-like diseases thrive in wet and warm conditions.
Fytosave is a natural substance used to improve defence responses of grape to diseases, such as powdery mildew and downy mildew. It’s a soluble concentrate that is sprayed onto the plant’s foliage. It works by stimulating the plant’s defences, using a series of mechanisms including the biosynthesis of antioxidants and flavonoids. It can be used on other crops such as vegetables, tomatoes and strawberries.
What are the advantages of using Fytosave?
It leaves no residue and therefore gives the grower access to organic and export markets. Its unique mode of action means there is little risk of fungal and fungal-like organisms becoming resistant to the product, and it is UV-stable and rain-fast.
Successful grape crop protection in France
A large-scale trial was carried out with organic growers in France using four different varieties of grapes (Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot).
Each grower used their normal program on half their Domaine and on the other, their normal program plus Fytosave. The year was quite dry, so there wasn’t too much powdery mildew; however, the growers noted a rise in crop yield in the Domaine where Fytosave was used.
See the results below:
| Wine grower | Grape | Yield % increase |
| #1 | Sauvignon | 5.9% |
| #4 | Chardonnay | 2.6% |
| #4 | Cabernet S. | 3.7% |
| #2 | Chardonnay | 24.3% |
| #3 | Merlot | 12.9% |
The same experiment was repeated in a year with high disease pressure. The growers didn’t see a higher yield, but the grapes that received the Fytosave treatment were better protected and saw less destruction, leading to an indirect yield increase.
By using Fytosave in addition to their normal program, the growers were able to achieve a higher yield of grapes. The grapes can be certified as organic and are more likely to meet export standards.
