Thanks Richard...man it really would be awesome if we could get good vinifera grapes growing here in Florida. There are really nice places with huge swaths of land in central Florida and north that would be great for bunch grapes. I'd love to grow some pinot grapes here in south Florida. There are some varieties developed that are resistant but the quality is low for wine production same goes for muscadines. Inoculating bunch grapes against pierce's disease would be the cat's meow ! (:
Biocontrol field trials
Dr. Donald Hopkins, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida’s Mid-Florida Research & Education Center, has been evaluating the use of a benign strain of Xf -- labelled EB92-1 -- isolated from elderberry in Florida and found in grapes and other host plants. Hopkins’ work to date shows that the EB92-1 can colonize in a grapevine, similar to other strains of Xf bacteria, but without causing PD symptoms or vine health problems, and it can prevent or reduce PD symptoms from pathogenic Xf strains. Vines in a Florida field trial (Syrah on Freedom rootstock) in a location with moderate to high PD pressure were inoculated with EB92-1 prior to planting and still show no PD symptoms after 13 years in the field.
Richard, this is also cool...check this out:
Wines & Vines - Wine Industry News Headlines - PD-Resistant Vinifera Vines Ready to Bear Fruit