American Foulbrood disease no threat to wine industry

Monday, 22 June, 2009
Norman McFarlane
American Foulbrood (AFB) disease has recently spread to the Western Cape for the first time, raising concerns that it may have a negative impact on the wine industry.
AFB is a bacterial infection which infects bee pupae in the early stages of development, resulting in death and subsequent contamination of the hive by millions of infective spores. The spores are highly resistant to heat, cold and disinfectant making it very difficult to eradicate the disease. Infected hives eventually die off because no new bees are born.

The disease usually occurs in commercial bee populations, which play a vital role in the pollination of commercial fruit and other food crops. Declining bee populations mean that the extent of pollination of food crops is limited, resulting in a lower crop yield. This poses severe risks for food security in affected areas.

Dr Mike Allsopp, of the Agricultural Research Council's Plant Protection Research Institute in Stellenbosch says there is, however, no danger for the wine and table grape industry. "Commercial grapes do not need insect pollination, so the AFB situation will have no effect on the wine or grape industry," he said in reply to an email inquiry.

Professor Alaine Deloire, lecturer in viticulture at the University of Stellenbosch's Department of Viticulture and Oenology concurred with Dr Allsopp.

He explained that the grapevine is self-pollinating and that pollination occurs some time before the opening of the petals, or cap. He added that although the wind does contribute to pollination, one seed per berry is usually sufficient to obtain normal berry growth.

Dr Deloire explained that climatic conditions and viral diseases pose greater risks to grapevine flower fertilisation in South Africa, concluding "[It is] not necessary to sound the alarm."
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A honey bee collecting pollen.
A honey bee collecting pollen.

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