Researchers in South Africa said they have, for the first time, edited the DNA of a woody crop plant on the continent, using CRISPR to alter a grapevine gene tied to disease susceptibility and water stress. The work, led by Stellenbosch University and the Agricultural Research Council, focused on VvDMR6.1, a gene that appears to make grapevines more vulnerable to downy mildew, one of the most damaging diseases in vineyards worldwide.
The study, published recently in the journal Plant Stress, found that switching off the gene reduced the plants’ vulnerability to downy mildew and also changed how they responded to limited water. The researchers said the edited vines conserved water more effectively under dry conditions, a result that could matter as climate change increases drought pressure in wine regions and raises the risk of disease outbreaks after environmental stress.
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