Biosolutions in Champagne: tools for sustainable viticulture
Interview with François BENNE, Marketing Director at De Sangosse France
Who is De Sangosse?
The De Sangosse Group (DSG) is a leading international reference in agricultural biosolutions and market leader in France. Founded in 1926, the group began expanding internationally in the late 1980s, before establishing its first overseas subsidiaries from 1990 onwards. Now operating in 70 countries through its 1,450 employees, 44 subsidiaries and 28 production sites, the group develops and deploys innovative technologies in crop protection and nutrition, biocontrol, adjuvants and decision-making tools, serving all sectors of agriculture.
Its mission is to support the transformation of agricultural sectors by offering high-performance solutions that nourish, stimulate and protect crops, delivering triple benefits in economic, environmental and social terms.
DE SANGOSSE is a majority-employee-owned, independent group committed to a long-term vision: to achieve a positive, sustainable and modern approach to agriculture that addresses global food, climate, societal and regulatory challenges.
An unavoidable transition
The Champagne wine industry is currently at a turning point. Faced with growing consumer demands, the specifications set by Champagne houses and environmental requirements, biosolutions are gradually establishing themselves as essential tools in the winegrower’s arsenal. François BENNE, Marketing Director at De Sangosse France, explains why.
“Biosolutions encompass a range of technologies,” he points out right from the start. The main categories are biocontrol, which aims to fight against the impacts of pests and diseases, and biostimulants, which are more focused on plant health and vitality.
The primary aim of these solutions is to reduce the use of conventional chemicals. “There is a strong public demand for fewer chemicals,” emphasises François BENNE. “Biosolutions are one of the tools that enable us to meet this demand.” This is a fact brought out by the figures: according to the latest available data, half of all treatments carried out in vineyards last year in France involved the use of biocontrol products. This telling figure demonstrates how these practices are gradually becoming established.
The Champagne vineyards: when challenges turns into opportunities
The Champagne region has specific characteristics that make protecting the vines particularly challenging. Downy mildew, powdery mildew, botrytis, grape worms… pest pressure is high here, emphasized by a humid climate that is conducive to fungal diseases. Yet, for François BENNE, these challenges are, above all, opportunities for innovation.
“The Champagne wine-growing region is well organised, with a network of experts and organisations that facilitates the roll-out of new solutions,” he explains. This structure within the sector is a considerable asset: once a solution has proven itself technically, it can be rolled out quickly.
The example of sexual confusion against grape berry moths is a perfect illustration of this. This method involves releasing substances that mimic the female pheromones of the pest moths via dispensers installed in the vineyards (two to three per hectare). The males, unable to find the females, do not mate, which drastically reduces egg-laying and damage to the grapes. “It is a very specific technology, with no effect on other insects or pollinators,” explains François BENNE. “And thanks to the organisation of the Champagne vineyards, this roll-out took place very quickly. Today, more than half of the vineyards in Champagne use this control method.”
Fighting against diseases without causing resistance
When it comes to combating downy mildew, powdery mildew or botrytis, biological solutions offer an often-overlooked advantage: the absence of resistance. Unlike conventional chemical compounds, which can lose their effectiveness against fungi that have developed resistance, biocontrol products work through a variety of mechanisms of action that do not encourage this phenomenon.
“With conventional chemicals, we were taking a curative approach: I have a problem, so I apply a product. With biosolutions, we adopt a more systemic approach,” explains François BENNE. The idea is to ensure the plant is in the best possible condition from the outset. For example, potassium phosphonate stimulates the vine’s defences whilst combating mildew, and allows the doses of associated conventional products to be adjusted.
This comprehensive approach helps to ensure the sustainability of the effort over time, by ensuring that effective solutions remain available to winegrowers in the long term.
Supporting the sector through its transition
Changing practices across an entire sector cannot be imposed overnight. It takes time, education and on-the-ground support. At De Sangosse, several approaches are being implemented simultaneously.
Firstly, the technical demonstration: showing in practical terms that the solutions work under real-world conditions. The company sets up ‘biosolutions farms’, pilot sites where complete production programmes are tested. “We go the extra mile to show that these approaches are also highly profitable for the winegrower,” insists François BENNE. Because economic viability is a non-negotiable prerequisite: if a biosolution is not cost-competitive, it simply won’t be adopted.
Next, training and local expertise. Specialist teams provide day-to-day support to winegrowers and distributors. In Champagne, a specialist team from De Sangosse provides this local support.
The CSR aspect is also playing an increasingly important role. Major Champagne houses are increasingly factoring the origin and nature of the products they use into their procurement criteria. De Sangosse, a French company, naturally meets these requirements. “We’re getting more and more requests, and I think there’s a genuine, sincere drive for improvement, not just for show,” observes François BENNE. Banks themselves are beginning to make certain forms of financing conditional on the greening of agricultural practices.
A bright future for the younger generations
Whilst the wine industry is going through a period of change that can sometimes be unsettling, François BENNE prefers to see it as a world of exciting possibilities. “We’re in a phase of transition towards new models, and it’s incredibly exciting,” he says. “New practices are being introduced, new consumption patterns are emerging, and research is thriving…”
Digital technology, genetics, new agronomic tools, innovative biosolutions: there are many opportunities available to the winegrowers of tomorrow. “For the young people coming through, there will be a whole new world to build using fresh approaches. It’s a real opportunity for those who are ready to drive these changes.”
A message of hope, and an invitation to embrace the transition rather than simply endure it.