Studies on Colletotrichum acutatum and Greeneria uvicola: Two fungi associated with bunch rot of grapes in sub-tropical Australia

Abstract

Vineyards in the Hunter Valley and Hastings Valley (sub-tropical NSW) were examined by unaided eye for visible symptoms of bunch rot diseases at berry maturity in 2003 (for a total of five varieties over seven vineyards). Grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) was evident in three vineyards, and ripe rot (Colletotrichum acutatum) was evident in four of those seven vineyards surveyed. Other bunch rots at six of the vineyards could not be readily identified by visual inspection. The incidence of fungi on grapevine reproductive structures (and potentially bunch-rot fungi) was then recorded for a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the Hastings Valley during the 2004/5 and 2005/6 growing seasons, and outcomes are reported here in some detail. By berry maturity, C. acutatum and Greeneria uvicola (bitter rot) were the predominant pathogens isolated from those structures, and constitute the first such report of bitter rot fungi on wine grapes in Australia. Indeed, the frequency of latent infection by C. acutatum and G. uvicola increased with berry development during the growing season. Other fungi isolated included Alternaria spp., Botryosphaeria spp., Cladosporium spp., Epicoccum sp., Fusarium spp., Nigrospora spp., Pestalotia spp., Phomopsis viticola and Trichoderma spp. Isolation of B. cinerea from this vineyard was rare. Infection of various wine grape varieties in vitro with C. acutatum and G. uvicola at post veraison revealed all varieties to be susceptible over a range of temperatures (20—35oC). Based on laboratory studies, there was no infection of berries at a relative humidity (RH) < 50%, and infection diminished at 87% RH. Infection did occur if the berries were first incubated at 100% RH for 24 hours, and then transferred to an environment of lower humidity.