The international trade fair for sparkling wine techniques, Viteff, opened on October 12 in Epernay in the Marne. Several companies in the region have been recognized for their innovations. This is the case with UVBoosting, a technology developed to fight against vine diseases.
In the heart of the Champagne vineyards, we are currently testing a revolutionary technology in the wine world. UV panels, UV-C precisely, whose rays will stimulate the vine to fight alone against viruses and bacteria. After seven years of research at the University of Avignon, laboratory tests, then in greenhouses, the marketing of panels UVBoosting started, especially in the Marne.
“It has been discovered that exposure to UV-C causes reactions on the vine, including the production of salicylic acid, which helps defend against disease.“, explains Pascal Delaunay-Driquert, president of Dumont France Cave and distributor of the technology in Champagne.
The Marne-based company is developing systems to install these panels on all wine-growing machinery, whatever they are, from the smallest to the most imposing. The primary objective of this treatment is to fight against downy mildew and powdery mildew. And if UV-C does not make it possible to completely eradicate diseases, this technology can be of precious support, especially for winegrowers who are starting their conversion to organic. UV panels will be a complement. It is not an alternative, but an additional weapon to make the transition.
This also makes it possible to intervene very quickly in the event of the appearance of diseases: “It is a technique that is rather promising, given that we are based on stimulating the natural defenses in a physical way (…) and the idea is to see how we can integrate this technology into a treatment program, to then reduce inputs“, explains Sébastien Debuisson, head of the vineyard department at the Champagne Committee. In short, being able to protect the vine, help it defend itself, but without tiring it.
