CANBERRA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- New climate-resilient and mildew-resistant grapevines have been planted in South Australia as part of a pioneering project to safeguard Australia's 45 billion Australian dollar wine industry from climate change and disease threats.

The initiative is a collaboration between Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency, and Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), the owner of Australia's leading luxury wine brand, Penfolds.

CSIRO said in a statement on Friday the new vines, recently planted in South Australia's Coonawarra, combine the drought resilience of heritage vines from Coonawarra and Barossa Valley with mildew resistance developed by CSIRO through decades of selective breeding, backed by Wine Australia.

Powdery and downy mildew cost Australia's wine industry around 160 million Australian dollars annually, statistics show.

Paul Boss, CSIRO research scientist and project lead, said the vines carry two key resistance genes, reducing the likelihood of pathogens overcoming the defenses.

"Having resistance genes for both powdery and downy mildew makes these plants more robust as it is unlikely the pathogens can break both sources of resistance with a single mutation," Boss said.

TWE Chief Supply and Sustainability Officer Kerrin Petty said the partnership blends tradition and science to tackle the dual challenges of disease and climate variability, to ensure the company's iconic wines can continue to thrive for generations.

The new cultivars are expected to reduce the need for fungicide sprays, lowering costs, carbon emissions, and environmental impact, said the CSIRO statement. (1 Australian dollar equals 0.62 U.S. dollars) Enditem

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