South African Scientists Use CRISPR on Grapevines

A study at Stellenbosch University in South Africa’s Western Cape is using gene-editing technology to try to make grapevines more resistant to disease and drought, in work that researchers say could help protect crops as climate pressures intensify.

The project, led by the university’s genetics department in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council, focuses on grapevines, a crop central to the region’s wine industry and agricultural economy. Scientists are using CRISPR, a tool that allows precise changes to DNA, to induce mutations that may help plants better withstand stress.

Dr. Manuela Campa, a geneticist involved in the research, said the team is looking at ways to improve crop resilience for sustainable agriculture. She said the work is centered on grapevines because of their importance to the Western Cape and Stellenbosch area, and because the crop faces growing pressure from changing weather patterns and plant diseases.

The study comes as South African farmers contend with recurring drought, shifting rainfall patterns and disease threats that can reduce yields and raise production costs. In wine regions such as Stellenbosch, where vineyards depend on stable growing conditions, researchers have been looking for ways to strengthen plants without relying only on chemical treatments or water-intensive practices.

CRISPR has become one of the most closely watched tools in agricultural science because it can target specific traits more quickly than traditional breeding. In this case, researchers are trying to identify genetic changes that could help vines cope with multiple stresses at once, including heat and water scarcity.

The work is still at the research stage, but it reflects a broader push in South Africa to use biotechnology to support food and crop security. If successful, the approach could eventually be applied beyond grapevines to other crops facing similar environmental risks.