Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Grapevine Viruses in Russia.

Elena Porotikova,Uliana Terehova,Eugeniya Yurchenko,Svetlana Vinogradova,Vitalii Volodin

doi:10.3390/plants10061080

Abstract

Viral diseases can seriously damage the vineyard productivity and the quality of grape and wine products. Therefore, the study of the species composition and range of grapevine viruses is important for the development and implementation of strategies and tactics to limit their spread and increase the economic benefits of viticulture. In 2014–2019, we carried out a large-scale phytosanitary monitoring of Russian commercial vineyards in the Krasnodar region, Stavropol region and Republic of Crimea. A total of 1857 samples were collected and tested for the presence of Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV), Grapevine virus A (GVA), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus-1 (GLRaV-1), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus-2 (GLRaV-2), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus-3 (GLRaV-3), Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), and Grapevine fleck virus (GFkV) using RT-PCR. Out of all samples tested, 54.5% were positive for at least one of the viruses (GRSPaV, GVA, GLRaV-1, GLRaV-2, GLRaV-3, GFLV, GFkV) in the Stavropol region, 49.8% in the Krasnodar region and 49.5% in the Republic of Crimea. Some plants were found to be infected with several viruses simultaneously. In the Republic of Crimea, for instance, a number of plants were infected with five viruses. In the Krasnodar region and the Republic of Crimea, 4.7% and 3.3% of the samples were predominantly infected with both GFkV and GRSPaV, whereas in the Stavropol region, 6% of the selected samples had both GLRaV-1 and GVA infections. We carried out a phylogenetic analysis of the coat protein genes of the detected viruses and identified the presence of GVA of groups I and IV, GRSPaV of groups BS and SG1, GLRaV-1 of group III, GLRaV-2 of groups PN and H4, GLRaV-3 of groups I and III. The results obtained make it possible to assess the viral load and the distribution of the main grapevine viruses on plantations in the viticultural zones of Russia, emphasizing the urgent need to develop and implement long-term strategies for the control of viral diseases of grapes.

Highlights

A large variety of fruits and berries provide humans with beneficial substances necessary for the vital activities of the body; some cultures, including grapes which is one of the most ancient and valuable fruit crops [1], are the driving force in the economy of a number of southern countries
We have identified Grapevine virus A (GVA), Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus-1 (GLRaV-1), Grapevine leafroll-associated virus-2 (GLRaV-2), and Grapevine leafroll-associated virus-3 (GLRaV-3) in the commercial vineyards in Russia [16,17,18,19,20], their genetic diversity which is necessary for understanding the evolutionary processes of viruses and finding effective countermeasures still remained unexplored
We describe the results of a large-scale study of the distribution of 7 economically significant grapevine viruses conducted in the southern regions of Russia

Summary

Introduction

A large variety of fruits and berries provide humans with beneficial substances necessary for the vital activities of the body; some cultures, including grapes which is one of the most ancient and valuable fruit crops [1], are the driving force in the economy of a number of southern countries. In 2018, the area occupied by grape plantations throughout the world comprised about 7.4 million hectares (according to OIV-2019, [2]). Viticulture all over the world is seriously affected by viral diseases which, depending on the type of virus and the degree of its impact on productivity and product quality, result in losses of $25,000 to $40,000 per hectare [4]. About half of viral phytopathogens are associated with four main disease complexes known as infectious degeneration and decline (fanleaf), leafroll, rugose wood, and fleck [1,7]. It is known that infectious degeneration and leafroll diseases reduce the rate of photosynthesis processes, water exchange, affect the size of berries and contribute to a decrease in grape yield [11,12,13]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion