Genome British Columbia is aiming to address the growing threat of heat stress on grapevines. This is a critical issue facing British Columbia’s wine industry due to increasingly extreme weather conditions. The project is conducted in partnership with the University of British Columbia’s Wine Research Centre, the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network, the BC Wine Grape Council, and Andrew Peller Limited.

The research objective is to understand how rising temperatures impact grape quality and yield while exploring potential solutions through genomic analysis and biostimulant applications. By simulating heatwave conditions in controlled environments, researchers will monitor physiological and metabolic changes in grapevines, with the goal of developing strategies to mitigate crop losses and preserve flavor profiles. The grapevine heat wave study also investigates how biostimulants — natural compounds that enhance plant resilience — could improve stress tolerance in vineyards.

Image Credit: Genome British Columbia