Abstract
The Okanagan Valley of British Columbia hosts a wine grape industry that has grown substantially in the past three decades in terms of both acreage and economic benefit to the region. The ring nematode, Mesocriconema xenoplax, has recently been found to be widespread in vineyard soils in the region. This study used field microplots to assess the potential impacts of a local population of M. xenoplax on the first four years growth of either self-rooted ‘Merlot’ or ‘Merlot’ vines grafted onto three commonly used rootstocks: 3309C, 44-53M, and Riparia Gloire. The population of M. xenoplax multiplied to comparable levels on self-rooted vines and all rootstocks, indicating that none of the vine genotypes were resistant to M. xenoplax. Inoculation with M. xenoplax reduced cumulative pruning weights of self-rooted vines by 58%. Inoculation with M. xenoplax reduced trunk cross-sectional areas of 3309C by 45% and that of self-rooted vines by 38%, whereas it did not affect trunk cross-sectional areas of 44-53 or Riparia Gloire, indicating differing levels of rootstock tolerance to M. xenoplax. Our data suggest that M. xenoplax is likely impacting vineyard health and productivity in the region, and the selection of rootstocks and management practices to minimize impacts of this nematode should be considered in future vineyard replant management programs.
Highlights
The wine grape industry in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia (BC), Canada has grown rapidly with respect to acreage and economic value since the early 1990s, with approximately 4,000 ha of Vitis vinifera varieties producing an estimated $2.8 billion total return to the BC economy when agri-tourism benefits are included
The objective of this study was to use a field microplot approach to measure the impacts of a BC population of M. xenoplax on the first four years growth of self-rooted ‘Merlot’ and ‘Merlot’ vines grafted onto three rootstocks that are commonly used by growers in BC: 3309C, 44-53M, and Riparia Gloire
We found that trunk cross-sectional areas (TCSA) was affected by M. xenoplax in 2011 but not in preceding years
Summary
The wine grape industry in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia (BC), Canada has grown rapidly with respect to acreage and economic value since the early 1990s, with approximately 4,000 ha of Vitis vinifera varieties producing an estimated $2.8 billion total return to the BC economy when agri-tourism benefits are included (https://news. g ov.b c.c a /fac ts h e ets /fac ts h e et-b r i tis h- columbia swine-industry). That most commercial rootstocks were hosts for an Oregon population of M. xenoplax, but that they tended to be more resistant and tolerant than selfrooted vines; only 420A and 101-14 rootstocks were classified as resistant and moderately resi stant, respectively. Both 420A and 101-14 were susceptible, to a California population of M. xenoplax (Pinkerton et al, 2005), indicating the possibility of differences in aggressiveness between geographically distinct populations of M. xenoplax. The objective of this study was to use a field microplot approach to measure the impacts of a BC population of M. xenoplax on the first four years growth of self-rooted ‘Merlot’ and ‘Merlot’ vines grafted onto three rootstocks that are commonly used by growers in BC: 3309C, 44-53M, and Riparia Gloire
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