Sanitary status of grapevines in south‐eastern and central Anatolia (Turkey)

Abstract

Surveys were carried out in commercial vineyards in the main grapevine‐growing areas of south‐eastern (Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Merdin, Sanliurfa, Elazig) and central (Nevşehir) Anatolia (Turkey) to assess the presence and incidence of virus and virus‐like diseases. Typical fanleaf symptoms were observed in most of the surveyed areas, but they were particularly frequent in Elazig in cvs Kirmizi, Agin, Sirfoni and Kohnu. Leafroll symptoms were present in most vineyards in Adiyaman, Sanliurfa and Elazig, primarily in the red‐fruited cvs Antep Karasi, Humusi, Kohnu and Siyah Kabarcik, and in Nevşheir. Rugose wood symptoms were common in Adiyaman, where vineyards were established with grafted planting material, but not in any of the self‐rooted Cappadocian cultivars. Phytoplasma‐like symptoms were sometimes observed in Elazig and Nevşheir. Biological (sap inoculation to herbaceous plants and graft transmission to woody indicators) and serological (ELISA) assays were used for virus detection and identification. A total of 55.3% of ELISA‐tested vines (296 out of 535) were infected by one (11.4%) or more (43.9%) viruses. GVA1 was the most widespread virus (42.4%), followed by GLRaV‐1 (38.5%), GFLV (10.7%) and GFkV (7.1%). Surprisingly low (2.4%) was the infection rate by GLRaV‐3, and even lower (<1%) that of the other viruses tested, i.e. GLRaV‐2, GLRaV‐6, GVB and ArMV. GLRaV‐7 was not detected. The occurrence of vein mosaic and vein necrosis was ascertained by testing on woody indicators. A putative nepovirus was isolated from a single vine of cv. Kizlar Tahtasi, the identification and characterization of which is still under way.