Researchers from Stellenbosch University and the Agricultural Research Council have achieved a first for Africa: the successful DNA editing of a woody crop plant.
Using CRISPR technology, the team made precise changes to grapevine DNA by “switching off” a single gene, VvDMR6.1, which is associated with the plant’s disease response. The researchers say the edit made the grapevine plants less susceptible to downy mildew, a major disease affecting vineyards worldwide.
The study, recently published in Plant Stress, shows how one targeted genetic change can influence multiple stress responses in plants and marks a significant milestone for plant biotechnology on the continent.
“By editing a gene that makes grapevines more vulnerable to disease, we were able to reduce this vulnerability while also influencing how the plants respond to water shortages. Our research shows how modern gene or genome editing technology can be used to improve grapevines, so they are better able to cope with disease and droughts,” says lead researcher Dr Manuela Campa from the Department of Genetics at SU.
“This represents a step toward integrating modern genome editing approaches into African crop improvement programmes, particularly for high-value horticultural crops such as grapevine.”
Campa notes that scientists have increasingly turned to genome editing tools like CRISPR in recent years to alter specific genes and improve plants’ resistance to disease.
She adds that an unexpected outcome of the study was how the modified plants responded to water scarcity.
“These plants responded better to dry conditions. They were able to conserve water more effectively, suggesting they may be better suited to the increasingly dry conditions expected due to climate change.
“This is an exciting step forward because it indicates that we can make precise changes to plants that improve more than one important trait at the same time.”
With grapevines facing growing pressure from both disease and shifting environmental conditions, Campa says the timing of the study is critical, as these challenges are expected to intensify with climate change, according to a press release.
“Viticulture (planting, managing and harvesting of grapes) faces significant challenges, as disease outbreaks increase after periods of environmental stress.
“Because grapevines are a high-value crop globally and are especially important to South Africa’s agricultural sector, we must develop varieties that can tolerate multiple stresses simultaneously. This can help us to produce grapes sustainably as conditions become more challenging.”
According to Campa, their findings highlight the potential of genome editing as a powerful tool to improve crops in Africa.
“While genome editing has been widely applied in model plants and several crops globally, its use in woody perennial species has remained limited because of their complex regeneration systems and long breeding cycles.
“This work demonstrates that advanced genome editing technologies can be successfully applied to perennial crops in Africa. It opens the door to new research aimed at developing more sustainable and climate-resilient crops.”
Campa emphasises that further studies will be needed to evaluate the edited plants in real-world conditions.
