Selby, Augustine Dawson

Van Hook, James M.

KnowledgeBank at OSU

euto ~grtcultural ~xptrimtnt ~tation CIRCULAR No. 64 WOOSTER, OHIO, FEBRUARY 15, 1907 DYING OF BEARING GRAPE-VINES LOCALIZED STEM BLIGHT IN OHIO VINEYARDS BY A. D. SELBY AND J, M. VAN HOOK Early in August, 1906, our attention was called to a serious dying of grape-vines in Ashtabula county, Ohio, near Unionville. The trouble had begun in 1905, at which time an entire row of 17-year old Concord Yines had wilted and died. It was first thought that lightning bad caused the death of the vines, as the trouble was apparently confined to a single row running east and west; but when the adjacent row on the north began to die in a yery similar manner in 1906, a parasitic disease was suspected and the Station was called upon for assistance. FIGURE 1. Badly diseased vineyard row, Unionville, looking from west, with oc ..,asional sprouts from roots of blighted vines; at left (north) many diseared shoots show dead leaves, while at south vines are healthy. From photograph Aua-ust 16, 1906. A visit was made to the diseased vineyard August 16, 1906; it was learned that in the one row first diseased, the vines bad died and had been cut back to the ground. Many of the old roots bad put out sprouts, some of which were wilting. New vines had also been set out. Figure 1 shows the appearance of this portion of the vine-yard looking from the west. The row to the right (south) was perfectly healthy; the row to the left (north) was wilting badly. An examination of this row showed that all or a part of every vine was affected with a specific disease. Likewise, several in the second row to the north and an occasional one in the third row, were affected. 2 OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: CIRCULAR 64 The vines wilted wont, beginning about the :fir&t of August. The leaves and tender shoots are the :fir-, t to show that disease 1s present; they droop and :finally dry up, while the berries shrivel. SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE IN AUGUST In Figure 1, the row at the left of the missing row shows a marked contrast to that at the right, having in places a much lighter shade on account of under leaf su'rfaces presented upon dying. At the time of the visit, the affected vines showed the stages of wilting and drying up, following in turn the more or less gradual collapse of the plants. These phenomena are reported to have been most conspicuous early in August when leaves were hanging down, berries wilting and all the:o:.e parts subsequently drying up. The advance of the trouble was marked by the collapse of additional vines in the rows to the left (north). Sun·iving branches from such vines as were previously attacked often completely dried up, whne in cases ofless disease, a branch collapsed in this manner, leaving the remaining parts erect and turgid. In examples which had &uffered death of all parts above ground, the root, below the crown, showed no evidence of decay, while the basal or other portions of the diseased stem showed the fruiting stages of a fungus in the form of elongated, protruding growths from the inner bark. Figure 2, of which a fuller discussion appears elswhere, will show the appearance of such parts. The old wood o£ these vines was much discolored in whole or in part, while the parts above yet showed green color. Early in January, the writers vi&it.ed the vineyard to study winter conditions. At this time the younger growth, which had wilted in summer, appeared as dead canes and branche&. Th-ese were easily detected by their gray or dark brown color. In the less seriously affected rows to the north, tbe death of the branches of the stock was frequently noted, without complete death of the latter. Much of the old wood was dead to the ground, but the roots still seemed otherwise normal. WHAT OF THE OLD DEAD STUBS ON THE GRAPE-STOCKS? In August, the collapse of the seriou&ly diseased vines, z'n toto, naturally raised the question of the danger of infection from the old dead stubs left by years of pruning, which i:;. not always done with a view to having the least possible amount of dead wood exposed. Wounds so made do not heal in the grape, and conditions favoring infection through the stubs are :;.uggested by the appearance. Another view, namely, that of progressive attack, from the outer branches inward, would see in the dead stocks (aside from the dead &tubs) the :final stage of disease. Further studies should determine the actualcoune of the disea&e. DYING OF BEARING GRAPE-VINES 3 APPEARANCE OF DISEASED CANES If one strips off the old bark of such diseased stems, somewher~ on the surface of the inner bark he will notice the condition shown in Figure 2. This is from a photograph of a section of an old branch and is enlarged about three diameters. The dark or black dots, which are oft~n arranged in the form of longitudinal elevations, are the fruit-bodies of a fungus and contain thousands of spores. ' ' FIGURE 2-Section of a diseased grape-vine with outer bark removed showing protruding stroma· like, dark growth of the parasitic fungus believed to cause death of stock. These separate dot· growths are at times united into elongated ridges of the same nature. Countless spores will escape irom theseinspringorsummer and probably infect new vines. (Winter condition, enlarged 3 diameters) .. 4 OIDO EXPERIMENT STATION: CIRCULAR 64. A cross-section of a stem at this point (even when the wood is only ju<>t beginning j:o discolor and the younger growth above is still green) when placed under a microscope, shows the vegetative part of the fungus all through the bark and woo:i vessels. This vegetative part, or mycelium, is in the form of numerous, colorless branching threads, which grow in every direction, not only killing the wood, but also stopping up the vessels, thereby preventing the upward flow of water and causing a very early wilting of the affected parts above. Pure cultures of the fungus have been obtained, and although the disease has not yet been produced through inoculation, it seems at present t.;> be clearly due to the fungus just described. It is de-sired to obtain specimens from vineyardists and to follow the matters of cause and prevention during the season of 1907. DANGER AND PREVALENCE OF THE DISEASE Attention was first called -to the case described in Ashtabula county, but this doubtless stands as an example of closer observation. The same condition affecting, however, only occasional scattered stocks, was found to exist in a variety _vineyard, 13 years old, at the Experiment Station, !Wooster. This vineyard has been regularly and thoroughly ~prayed since its planting, with Bordeaux mixture followed by ammoniacal copper carbonate; this spraying has held all diseases of the foliage and fruit in check, including among these the anthracnose upon the berries, and the vines have yielded satisfactory returns. The writers aTe advised of the occurrence of a similar trouble in the Grape District of New York State and in north-eastern Pennsylvania. At this time it seems safe to draw at lea:,t two inferences from the preceding statements: 1. This dying of grape-vines i:, approaching the condition of general occurrence and calls for study and efficient handling, if death of stocks is to be prevented. 2. The evidence b again&t the effrcacy of Bordeaux alone, as a remedy to be employed against this final death of &tocks. The second inference i& based upon the loss of vines here at the Station despite the thorough use of Bordeaux mixture and its effi-ciency against diseases of fruit and foliage. the Unionville vineyard has been sprayed, but apparently le:,s thoroughly. While there is nothing in the situation to excite undue alarm, there is urgency in determining the prevalence of the disease and the best means for ib control. Specimens examined are identical, as to the parasite, with those collected in New York State in 1904 and referred by Atkinson to th~ DYING OF BEARING GRAPE-VINES 5 Anthracnose fungus of the grape. This was published in Press Bul-letin, Cornell University Experiment Station, No.1, 1904, and dated April25, 1904. METHODS OF PREVENTION OR CONTROL OF THE DISEASE. The possible ineffectiveness of Bordeaux mixture alone is indi-cated by the development of the trouble in the Station's vineyards under thorough spray treatment from year to year. While it is true that applications were not always made before the opening of the buds in spring, thorough spraying was practiced during the usual period. Somewhat greater efficiency may be expected, perhaps, from stronger sprays or washes of Bordeaux mixture upon the vines in early spring, say immediately before the opening ofthe buds; this would be about May 1st in northern Ohio. This treatment was recommended by Atkinson in the reference given. More drastic measures upon the old stocks are indicated by the facts at hand. For many years, in Europe and Algeria and more recently in South Africa and Australia, 5 to 10 per cent. solutions of sulfuric acid in water or of sulfuric acid and iron sulfate in water, have been employed and generally with reported favorable results. The following formula was recommended by Bolle in Italy, in 1892 (See Zeits. f. P:flanzenkr., 3;119): Iron sulfate.. . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 parts by weight. Sulfuric acid.... . . . . . . . . . . . .5 parts by weight. (2U parts by volume.) Water ...................... 100 parts by weight. This was applied on the.vines 15 to 20 days before opening 'of buds, with a brush, after pruning and after outer bark of main stem had been removed with roughened gloves. More recently, in the Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good Hope, July, 1906, Louns-bury reports the successful use of a similar solution applied by brush. His formula is: Sulfate of iron crystals .......................................... 110 lbs. Commercial sulfuric acid ............................. 1 qt. (often 2 qts.) Water ....................................................... 22 gallons. This solution was applied with a brush a week or two before opening of buds in spring. Neither of the formulae given could be used during the growing period and the applicability of both is restricted to the dormant period. In both cases hot water is recom-mended for the solution. Either formula might be applied by use of pumps with "trass working parts, provided the parts were thoroughly washed out immediately after use; otherwise the acid would corrode the metal. Sulfate of iron crystals ............................. , .... 200 to 22.51bs. Commercial sulfuric acid (sp. gr. 1.82) ........••........ 1.5lbs. (1 gal.) Water, to make ..........•..•..••........................... . 50 gallons. 6 OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: CIRCULAR 64 Pour acid upon the crystals of sulfate in a wooden vessel. Dilute at :first cautiously, using hot water if possible, with stirring until all sulfate is dissolved. This may mean to make the volume 30 or 40 gallons. Where smaller quantities are needed, fractional por-tions of the given formula may be employed. No more than needed should be made up. The danger of burns from the acid solution mu'- t always be heeded; protection of hands and face will moreover be wi~e when one undertakes to apply this acid s'olution. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CAUTIONS It is recommended that vineyardists give early attention to the examination of dying vines or groups of vmes, and that in all such cases careful examination be made for &uch specimens as we have already described and illustrated. Every dead branch of a stock should call for examination as the disease may begin in this way. lt i-. possible that centers of bird's eye rot upon the berrie<s in sum-mer may be centers of this stem blight as well, and specimens from 5uch areas, accompanied by notes, will be doubly appreciated by the autbon. Where very few vines show the blight, and these are widely scattered, to remove and burn the diseased stocks may be 'the simplest practice. However, where a series of vines show the trouble, it were better to prune separately from healthy ones, and to burn all litter, including possibly the rough bark from the stem&, preparatory to treating the stock& with the acid iron sulfate mixture before described, either by spraying or by use of brush. When the disease is once known to occur in vineyards, it were much wiser io go over the vim·s before pruning and to mark those to be passed by the trimmers; these should be pruned separately, stnce it is not improbable that the disease is spread along the rows by pruning :first diseased and th~n healthy stocks. Cutting dead stocks before pruning living ones is therefore to be avoided. It appears that like Qther vme growing countries we must now face the problems asso-ciated with this stem blight, which may be 'the same as with them. SPECIMENS DESIRED The Station Botanist is very de&irous to secure specimens of diseased canes and to receive information concerning the dying of vmeyard stocks in the state. For the season of 1907, much of the progress made mu&t depe!J.d upon the cooperation and advice of vineyard owner&. The same is true in the matter of treatment to be applied to diseased vines. For reporting data and observations the attached blanks may be used. Such correspondence and speci-mens will receive due attention and response DYING OF BEARING GRAPE-VINES 7 Vineyard owners m·e earnestly solicited to fill out, detach and maz"l to the StatiolZ the following rej>o·rt, whether sj>edmens be sent or not:. VINEYARD MEMORANDUM REPORT Area o_fvineyard, ........ acre.,; age, .......... years; 7-•arieties-chief, . ................•.••. otlzers, ....................... ; kind of soil, ........ ;high or low lying, ........... ,; located z'n...... . ... . townslzij>, ............ county, near .......... . TRail":ay or~ ract10n 1 Station; practice as to sPraying,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... Har.1e :;•ou noticed dyi1zg of vines in vineyard? . ...... . lfso, at what age and to what extent and were these re:Pla1zted? Report below and send speci·nzens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . .............• H~s there been recu;rence o.f dead stocks! . . . . . . . . . Do you 1·egard thz's as serz'ous!. . . . . . . . . . . . H7lat is your most serious disease, also worst z'nsect trouble o1z the g-rape? .• ................................ \ . . .. . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . .. ~ ........ '" ..... ,. . .. .. . .................. . Name •..••.....................................................• Resz'dence . . . . . . . . ............................ :. . . ............ . Address . ..•.. , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....•......•..•. , • • • • • • • • . . . . . ....• This page intentionally blank.

Dying of bearing grape-vines: localized stem blight in Ohio vineyards

https://kb.osu.edu/bitstream/1811/59743/1/OARDC_circular_n064.pdf

Dying of bearing grape-vines: localized stem blight in Ohio vineyards

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

KnowledgeBank at OSU