Institute of Viticulture and Pomology

Research Focus

For Austria, the production of wine and fruit is a cultural asset with high esteem, as much as an economic sector with considerable revenue creation. At the centre of both our research and teaching are the ecosystems of wine and fruit, concerning their biological, economic and social implications within their environments. We target this complex field of issues by means of interdisciplinary approaches and highly specialised methods, utilising our extensive network of renowned academic organisations at home and abroad. Our basic as well as applied research addresses topics along the whole value chain of the wine and fruit industry. High quality in wine and fruit production roots in the best possible management of the cultivated acreage and environmental parameters. Therefore, the main research fields of the BOKU Division of Viticulture and Pomology are plant diversity, biotic and abiotic stress factors, fruit quality and agronomic management systems. Our research based teaching approaches topics with the main question: “why?” and aims to develop valid answers based on scientific criteria. Today, facing new and complex challenges, it does not suffice anymore to rely upon empirical knowledge (the “what” and “how”) alone. Our task is to provide state of the art scientific knowledge and thinking for tomorrow’s experts that can act as innovation drivers in a dynamic international market environment.