Abstract
Grapevine dieback is an increasing problem in grape vineyards in Algeria. We conducted field surveys each spring between 2006 and 2012 to determine the fungal pathogens associated with grapevine decline in various grape-growing regions. We isolated and identified 3 species of Botryosphaeriaceae (Botryosphaeria dothidea, Diplodia seriata, and Neofusicoccum parvum) from infected wood using a combination of morphological and cultural characters, as well as phylogenetic analyses of ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and fruiting body. We identified 20 isolates of Diplodia seriata, 13 isolates of Botryosphaeria dothidea, and 7 isolates of Neofusicoccum parvum. Inoculation of grapevine plantlets with the 3 Botryosphaeriaceae species produced necrosis and vascular lesions in the wood after a 6-week incubation; Neofusicoccum parvum isolates were the most virulent, followed by D. seriata and B. dothidea. All 3 species were re-isolated from lesions on infected plantlets. Our results represent the first report of a canker disease of grapevine associated with species of the Botryosphaeriaceae in Algeria.
Highlights
Many farmers cultivating grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) around the world suffer serious dieback problems associated with the development of a range of grapevine trunk disease pathogens
There were 2 species that were frequently isolated from grapevine cankers in all regions; 40% of isolates conformed to the Diplodia seriata anamorph of the genus Botryosphaeria obtusa and 30% of isolates were identified as Botryosphaeria dothidea
Few studies have been conducted to evaluate the health status of vineyards with symptoms of dieback and showing the presence of the 2 wood diseases Eutypa and esca; our study is the first to address the role of the Botryosphaeriaceae species in the decline of grapevines in Algeria
Summary
Many farmers cultivating grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) around the world suffer serious dieback problems associated with the development of a range of grapevine trunk disease pathogens. The disease associated with these fungal pathogens is referred to as Botryosphaeria dieback (Úrbez-Torres, 2011) This disease, formerly named black dead arm (BDA), was identified for the first time in a field in Tokaj, Hungary (Lehoczky, 1974), where it was observed on the basis of wood lesions only. Later, this disease was associated with foliar symptoms in Italy (Rovesti and Montermini, 1987) and in France in 1999 (Larignon et al, 2001). Symptoms generally associated with Botryosphaeria dieback on grapevine include mortality, dieback, cankers and sector-sharped lesions inside the wood, bud mortality, reduced growth, and in some cases branch rot (Van Niekerk et al, 2004)
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