South Africa has a rich winemaking history, dating back to 1659. Even so, the country only has 4 292ha out of 89 384ha that are 35 years or older, and are recorded in the Old Vine Project.
One of the reasons for this is leafroll virus. No formal statistics are available on the number of hectares affected, but Rosa Kruger, founder of the Old Vine Project, estimates that at least 70%, if not 80% of the area under vineyards in South Africa, is to some degree infected with leafroll.
She gave more information on ways to prevent the disease during a vineyard workers development training session held earlier this year in Paarl.
THE THREAT
Leafroll virus affects plant vigour and results in uneven and fewer bunches. Yields of infected vines are at
