Abstracts

Viticulture is among the most pesticide-intensive agricultural systems due to the high susceptibility of grapevine to fungal diseases and the strong dependence of disease development on climatic conditions. Increasing regulatory pressure to reduce pesticide use, together with accelerating climate change impacts, requires a fundamental rethinking of plant protection strategies in vineyards. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) offers a systemic framework for reducing chemical inputs while maintaining productivity and quality; however, its effective implementation remains uneven across Europe. This paper provides a comprehensive synthesis of plant protection tools for reducing pesticide use in viticulture, with a particular focus on disease-resistant grapevine varieties, adaptive disease management under climate change, and region-specific implementation of IPM strategies. Special attention is given to Serbia and the Western Balkans as state-of-the-art case vignettes representing high disease pressure, fragmented production structures, and strong dependence on advisory systems. The analysis integrates recent scientific literature with emerging European research perspectives, highlighting pathways toward resilient, knowledge-based viticulture systems.

Keywords

Viticulture, Integrated pest management, Pesticide reduction, Disease-resistant grapevine varieties, Climate change, Plant protection

Acknowledgment

Founded by European Union (GrapeBreed4IPM, grant number 101.132.223).

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