Grape powdery mildew ( Erysiphe necator) risk assessment based on airborne conidium concentration

Abstract

Atmospheric concentrations of Erysiphe necator conidia were monitored for 2 years in a vineyard planted with cultivars susceptible to powdery mildew in the vine production area of Quebec, Canada. The concentrations of airborne conidia were determined and compared using two types of samplers: a Burkard volumetric sampler and a rotating-arm sampler. The coefficients of correlation between the volumetric and rotating-arm sampler placed at 45 cm from the ground was r = 0.81 and 0.82 in 2000 and 2001, respectively. The relationship between incidence of powdery mildew on the leaves of three cultivars (Chancellor, Geisenheim, and Frontenac) and the cumulative concentration of airborne conidia (based on 3 d of sampling weekly) was then studied. This relationship was similar for the three cultivars, ( R 2 = 0.97, 0.95, 0.97, for cvs Chancellor, Geisenheim, and Frontenac respectively) and was well described using the cumulative form of the Weibull model. Based on this model, it was possible to establish the period of high risk (highest rate of increase in powdery mildew incidence) from 645 to 5614, 2437 to 2951, and 1052 to 3061 conidia m −3 of air for the cvs Chancellor, Geisenheim, and Frontenac, respectively. An action threshold, for timing interval between fungicide sprays, of 50 conidia m −3 d −1 was evaluated under field conditions with cv Chancellor and was as good as a calendar-based program with fewer fungicide sprays under unfavourable weather conditions. Monitoring airborne inoculum could be used as a component of a risk management system for grape powdery mildew to time intervals between fungicide sprays.