New Jersey's tiny wine industry is booming — as are local wineries across much of the Eastern U.S. — but grape growers in those regions face increased disease pressure from fungi such as downy mildew that thrive in the humid conditions.That's why a plant pathologist at Rutgers University is experimenting with a cutting-edge tool to basically turn off the genetic welcome mat in the grape's DNA that allows the downy mildew fungus to take hold. If successful, the research will create Chardonnay grapes that resist the pathogen and that could hopefully be grown without dependence on intensive fungicide application.
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