Wine grapes are an important crop in Michigan. According to the National Association of American Wineries, the overall economic impact of Michigan’s grape and wine industry is estimated to be more than $6.3 billion annually. This includes the direct impact from vineyard and winery operations, as well as indirect effects such as wine tourism, related retail sales and hospitality services.

However, grapevines are highly susceptible to plant viruses. In fact, grapevines commonly host multiple plant viruses — sometimes multiple viruses infect a single vine. That’s why Michigan State University researchers are working to keep vineyards healthy and productive.

“The first step in controlling viruses is knowing which ones we have in Michigan — and now we know,” said Timothy Miles, associate professor and principal investigator for the Small Fruit and Hop Pathology program in MSU’s Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Conducted by researchers from MSU and the University of California, Davis, the study aimed to determine what grapevine viruses are infecting Michigan’s vineyards to increase awareness of the importance of diagnostic testing and planting virus-free plant material.