In the mid-1860s, grapevines in southeastern France inexplicably began to wither and die.
The Wine industry was on the brink of disaster..
The infestation advanced with the relentlessness of an invading army and within a few years had spread across Europe, from Portugal to the Crimea.
What they were and where they had come from was a mystery.
He discovered that the vine roots were covered in microscopic yellow insects.
Jules- mile Planchon, a Botanist from Montpellier, was sent to investigate.
In the mid-1860s, grapevines in southeastern France inexplicably began to wither and die