Abstract
Simple SummaryGrapevine trunk diseases are the most widespread fungal diseases, affecting grapevines in all the major growing regions of the world, and their complete eradication is still not possible. Aiming to search alternatives to avoid the spread and high incidence of these diseases, the present work identified in vineyards within the Alentejo region the grapevine fungal community and among it the fungi responsible for those diseases. Grapevine fungal community showed a wide variety of fungi, nine of them previously described as grapevine trunk diseases-associated fungi. Almost all these fungi were detected in symptomatic and asymptomatic plants, which shows the importance of investigating the interactions of fungal communities and confirms the need for early diagnosis of these diseases. The potential of endophytic fungi as bio-control agents was tested against grapevine trunk diseases-associated fungi. These tests were performed among identified endophytes and grapevine trunk diseases phytopathogenic fungi, and all the endophyte fungi showed potential as biocontrol agents. Our findings suggest that endophytes are promising candidates for their use in biological control due to their antagonistic activity against the mycelia growth of grapevine trunk diseases-associated fungi.Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are the most widespread fungal diseases, affecting grapevines in all the major growing regions of the world, and their complete eradication is still not possible. Aiming to search alternatives to avoid the spread and high incidence of these diseases, the present work intended to molecularly identify the grapevine endophytic community, the phytopathogenic fungi associated with GTDs in vineyards within the Alentejo region, and to test potential antagonist microorganisms as biological control candidates against GTDs-associated fungi. Grapevine endophytic community showed a wide variety of fungi in GTDs’ asymptomatic and symptomatic plants, nine of them previously described as GTDs-associated fungi. GTDs prevalent fungi identified in symptomatic plants were Diaporthe sp., Neofusicoccum sp., and H. viticola. Almost all these fungi were also detected in asymptomatic plants, which shows the importance of investigating the interactions of fungal communities and confirms the need for early diagnosis of these diseases. Direct inhibition antagonism tests were performed among identified endophytes and GTDs phytopathogenic fungi, and all the endophyte fungi showed potential as biocontrol agents. Our findings suggest that endophytes are promising candidates for their use in biological control due to their antagonistic activity against the mycelia growth of some GTDs-associated fungi.
Highlights
Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. and Vitis spp.) belongs to the Vitaceae family and is one of the most economically important woody perennial fruit crops in the world [1]
We aimed to identify and study the Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs)-associated fungi with the intention of contributing to alternatives for reducing the incidence of these diseases
Grapevine endophytic community can have a wide range of fungi diversity, as shown in the present study using some GTDs’ asymptomatic and symptomatic grapevines in the Alentejo region
Summary
Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. and Vitis spp.) belongs to the Vitaceae family and is one of the most economically important woody perennial fruit crops in the world [1]. Portugal is among the twelve major wine producers in the world with a production of 6.1 million hl in 2018 [2] and with the wine consumption growing in the last years. Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are the most important and destructive fungal diseases, affecting grapevines in all the major growing regions of the world [1,4,5]. These destructive diseases cause important damages every year with the need for replacement of dead grapevines worldwide and are the major causes of grapevine decline, especially in European countries [6,7,8]. GTDs are caused by wood-inhabiting fungi that cause the death of the spurs, canes, and/or cordons in mature and young plants, which impact grape and wine economic production, reducing productivity, quality, and longevity of the vineyards [7,9,10,11,12,13,14]
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