Research Outputs

 Levy cycle at a glance

On 31 October 2024, SATI completed its latest four-year levy cycle and reflected on the research accomplishments and progress made during this period.

By Tarryn Wettergreen

Project priorities

The main goal of SATI’s Research and Technical Transfer Programme is to generate credible, impactful knowledge by funding relevant and targeted projects that align with industry needs and opportunities. Hence, the process for establishing funding priorities starts with:

• consulting regional table-grape producer associations to determine producer priorities
• identifying research, if any, is required to support on-going market access or development initiatives.

SATI also determines the need for follow-up work from existing or recently completed projects and provides researchers with the opportunity to suggest topics not identified through SATI’s internal processes.

Research themes and funding

Funds are spent across five scientific themes Plant improvement: Projects aimed at enhancing the performance of table-grape vines through the provision of superior vines to support better vineyard performance. These projects typically relate to breeding and genetic and virus studies. Natural resource management: Projects aimed at safeguarding natural resources by promoting practices that support sustainable use of natural resources and address environmental challenges like climate change.

The projects typically relate to water and soil management, and greenhouse gas emissions. Crop production: Projects aimed at understanding how to develop sustainable production practices that optimise vine growth, yield and quality. Plant protection: Projects aimed at studying and developing sustainable strategies, techniques, and tools to manage pests and diseases, and includes some projects that support market access processes.

Harvest and postharvest management: Projects aimed at developing practices that reduce food wastage, and optimise harvesting, packaging and storage processes for quality, safe-for-consumption table grapes.

Funding allocation and expenditure

Project funding is allocated by taking three key factors into account:

• total available research funding
• identified industry priorities
• SATI’s research scope and objectives.

Between 1 November 2020 and 31 October 2024, SATI spent approximately R33.9 million on projects, compared with approximately R28.8 million in the previous levy cycle. Funds were spent across five different scientific themes, as shown in the graph below. Altogether 59 projects were funded during the levy cycle. Figure 2 shows the number of projects per theme.

Levy cycle outputs

Knowledge transfer is an integral part of the research portfolio, and is achieved by:

• funding postgraduate students
• developing knowledge resources.

Funding of academic research creates an opportunity for developing skills, knowledge and expertise for the future. Between 1 November 2020 and 31 October 2024, 33 postgraduate students in various scientific disciplines were supported from the research budget. Bursaries supported by transformation and training budget are not reported on here. Since not all projects funded are academic in nature, not all projects include students.

A breakdown of students is provided in Figure 3. Most (88%) of the postgraduate students supported by SATI continue to be involved in the table-grape sector, as postgraduate students, academics, or working in the industry. Using accessible formats, SATI creates various knowledge resources and events to communicate research outcomes with industry stakeholders. In fact, SATI developed various science-based resources between 1 November 2020 and 31 October 2024. And related industry events were hosted.

BOX:

Selected highlights Books: SATI published two books in 2021. The first book, Cover Crops in South Africa, was authored by the late Dr Johan Fourie and published in partnership with Winetech. The second is a republication of Table Grape Rootstocks in South Africa and Tafeldruif Onder Stokke in Suid-Afrika by Jan Avenant.

Research videos: Three videos were created to help disseminate outputs of key projects during 2020 and 2021. These were made are available for SATI members: -Survey to determine distribution of phylloxera and potential effect on table and dried grapes (Project Leader: Elleunorah Allsopp) -Developing guidelines for the judicious irrigation of table grapes according to grapevine water potential measurements (Project Leader: Carolyn Howell) -Thrips on table grapes in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga: species identity, seasonal occurrence and economic damage (Project Leader: Elleunorah Allsopp)

An additional video created in English and Afrikaans on the correct technique for titration to determine grape maturity, was also created.

Online library: for use by industry and stakeholders, as a resource to search science-based table-grape related publications, including SATI-funded projects. The library is available to SATI members and South African table-grape industry stakeholders. Contact the SATI office for more information.

Beyond the Bunch: In 2024, SATI launched a quarterly publication that aims to serve as a science-based resourced for the South African table-grape industry. Each edition features a couple of articles exploring a topic or questions raised within the industry, with links to related additional reading. So far, featured topics comprise conservation agriculture, climate manipulation using plastic covers, rest-breaking, and thrips.

SA Fruit Journal: It remains a key resource for publishing research findings for projects funded by SATI. Approximately 60 science-based technical articles were published between 1 November 2020 and 31 October 2024. Articles mainly provided results from SATI-funded research.

Table Grape Information Days:

Apart for 2023, when SATI hosted the Information Days in partnership with Raisins SA, SATI has continued to partner with the South African Society for Enology and Viticulture (SASEV) to present the table-grape information days. During this levy cycle, the information days evolved to include more topics of commercial interest. In 2024 the event was rebranded to what is now called Table Talk Grape Conversations. The event remains a key activity for the dissemination of science-based information for SATI.

10th International Table Grape Symposium (10 ITGS): In November 2023, SATI organised and hosted 10 ITGS in partnership with SASEV. This industry highlight enabled SA to host the global table-grape community. SATI is extremely proud to have funded more than 50% of the scientific presentations delivered at the event.