We visit UC Davis Foundation Plant Services

Among the great vine research, propagation and certification institutes throughout the world, the University of California's Foundation Plant Services Facility is one of the most hallowed. Their certification of virus-free plants is the gold standard accepted everywhere without demure.

The university's  sister institution of Viticulture and Enology is where anybody who is anybody studied but the Foundation Plant Services Facility is equally influential athough much smaller and without the public profile of the Viticulture and Enology school.

The long-standing Director of Foundation Plant Services is Dr. Deborah Golino. Dr. Golino was kind enough to give us some of her time and received us very graciously. She explained that she is responsible for many plants in addition to grapes. These include many fruits and nuts. She was particularly proud of the institute's work on Strawberries and indeed the strawberries we were offered at hotel breakfast buffets while in California were exquisite both in looks and in taste.

young vines in pots

Her work in winegrapes consists of developing 100% virus-free material which once certified can be released in the form of cuttings to nurseries who then propagate the vines and sell them in California and worldwide. This process takes many years and is very costly involving thousands of dollars per variety. The institute is not publically funded so relies on commercial and private sources of income.

Nevertheless over the years certification has been completed in the case of 620 varieties of grapes for wine, food, juices, raisins and rootstock. This work takes on enormous significance when you realize that whole countries such as Australia, Israel and others only permit the importation of material certified by the FPS. There are also many South American countries who look to Davis before importing material even if not exclusively.

Compared with the VCR (Vivai Cooperativo Rauscedo) the FPS is small but they stand at the apex of a triangle and it is the vast Californian nurseries that carry out the propagation.

Staff at FPS are only 45 in number. The former ranch which UCD bought in the 1920s amounts to 300 acres of which 100 are devoted to vines. these produce 20 - 30 million plants per year as opposed to Rauscedo's 80 million.

At the moment, Dr. Golino explained, some of their most important research is being carried out into finding a solution for Pierce's disease which is becoming an increasing problem worldwide. We wish Dr. Golino and her staff the greatest possible success in this and the other important work of the FPS.