The wine industry says it could trim up to $5 million a year from its costs by not having to remove tendrils from grapevines during pruning.
New Zealand Winegrowers research manager Dr Simon Hooker says tendrils are removed because growers believe they may carry the disease botrytis bunch rot, which affects wine quality in grapes.
Dr Hooker says the project is to establish whether the tendrils do in fact harbour botrytis spores over winter.
He says grape growers could save $2.5 - $5 million dollars a year if they didn't have to remove them.
Dr Hooker says a one-year project will trial leaving tendrils on grapevines in Hawke's Bay and Marlborough.
