Fungal trunk pathogens of Sultana Seedless vineyards in Aegean region of Turkey

In recent years, grapevine trunk diseases have become a problem in Sultana Seedless vineyards of Manisa and Izmir provinces (Aegean Region, Turkey). A field survey was conducted in 2013 in these provinces (in 8 cities and 80 vineyards) to determine disease incidence, fungal species associated with grapevine trunk diseases and pathogenicity.  Symptomatic vines were grouped by two different grapevine trunk disease symptoms: (1) typical tiger-striped leaves, (2) dead arm, shoot decline or apoplexy. Over 80% of vineyards in these areas were positive for at least one characteristic trunk disease symptom. Incidence of tiger-stripe symptom ranged from 2.9-15% and incidence of apoplexy ranged from 0–4.2%. Eight fungal species in five fungal families were identified from declining grapevines based on morphological and molecular (ITS, β-tubulin and EF1-α) studies including, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Diplodia seriata, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Neofusicoccum parvum, Diaporthe ampelina, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Togninia minima and Fomitiporia mediterranea. Overall, D. ampelina was the most frequently recovered fungus from symptomatic grapevine tissues followed by botryosphaeriaceous fungi, P. chlamydospora, F. mediterranea and T. minima. Pathogenicity tests confirmed all eight fungi as pathogens of grapevine in these regions with N. parvum being the most virulent among the fungi tested

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF GRAPEVINE CULTIVARS AND ROOTSTOCKS TO CROWN GALL DISEASE (RHIZOBIUM VITIS) IN THE AEGEAN REGION OF TURKEY

WOS: 000446644900054Crown or root gall of grape is one of the most important bacterial diseases of vineyards in Turkey. Eighty-one vineyards in the Aegean Region were surveyed and 31 gall samples were collected between 2009 and 2011. A total of 16 of R. vitis isolates were identified and classified by PCR using species-and opine type-specific primers. Pathogenicity was determined by inoculating plants of sunflower and a highly virulent strain was used to determine the sensitivity of the most common rootstocks (10) and grapevine cultivars (31) in Turkey for two years. Two-year old rooted grape cutiings were artificially inoculated with bacterial suspension (10(7)cfu/ml). Plants were maintained in climate rooms (at 18-24 degrees C temperature, 80% relative humidity, 12 h light/dark) and gall diameters and weights were measured after 3 months. At the end of the study, all the isolates obtained from this region were determined to cause octopin/cucumopine type opin synthesis. Ramsey and 1613-C were the most tolerant rootstocks while 420-A and 41-B were the most susceptible to R. vitis. On the other hand, Sultan 1, Sultana Seedless (Type 4) and Sultan-7 (from the Sultana Seedless group) and Mevlana, Red Globe and Pembe Gemre (6th, 11th and 12th clones) were found to be the most susceptible while Bornova Misketi was the most tolerant grape cultivar.General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, Turkish Ministry of Agriculture [TAGEM-BS-09/04-01/02-13]This study was supported by General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, Turkish Ministry of Agriculture, under project number; TAGEM-BS-09/04-01/02-13. We thank A. Unal, Dr. S. Karabat, Y. Sava, M.S. Inan, Dr. N.G. Savas, T. Teker, Dr. S. Ula, Dr. A. Karahan, Y. Karabicak and N. Ustun for their personal contributions and assistance. We also thank Prof. Dr. Tom Burr for kindly providing the reference strains of R. vitis