PHYTOPATHOLOGIA MEDITERRANEA, cilt.62, sa.2, ss.151-163, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Good health of grapevine plants is important for productivity and sustainability of newly established vineyards, and accurate detection of bacterial and fungal
pathogens is a prerequisite for managing the diseases they cause in nurseries. This
study screened marketable, bare-rooted grapevine plants, obtained from different geographical regions of Türkiye, for fungal pathogens associated with grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs). In 2021, 43 grapevine nurseries located in eight provinces were surveyed
to reveal the status of GTD pathogens on asymptomatic marketable plants. Fungal
pathogens isolated from the roots and basal parts of asymptomatic dormant grapevines
were identified using with morphological characteristics and molecular markers, and
were subjected to pathogenicity tests. Six species; Cytospora viticola, Diaporthe ampelina, Diplodia seriata, Lasiodiplodia brasiliensis, Neofusicoccum parvum, and Truncatella
angustata (associated with dieback), and six species; Cadophora ferruginea, Cadophora
luteo-olivacea, Cadophora malorum, Phaeoacremonium minimum, Phaeoacremonium
tuscanicum and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora (associated with Petri disease) were
identified based on DNA sequencing of ITS and TEF1-α genes. GTD pathogens were
detected in 12 and 14 of the 43 nurseries, respectively. Pathogenicity tests on 1103P
vines revealed that all species were pathogenic (N. parvum and C. luteo-olivacea being
the most virulent), and caused significant wood necroses when compared to non-inoculated experimental controls. This is the first report of C. ferruginea, C. malorum, L.
brasiliensis, and P. tuscanicum associated with GTDs in Türkiye.