Grapevine Trunk Diseases in Greece: Disease Incidence and Fungi Involved in Discrete Geographical Zones and Varieties

Stefanos I Testempasis; Emmanouil A Markakis; Georgia I Tavlaki; Stefanos K Soultatos; Christos Tsoukas; Danai Gkizi; Aliki K Tzima; Epameinondas Paplomatas; Georgios S Karaoglanidis

doi:10.3390/jof10010002

Grapevine Trunk Diseases in Greece: Disease Incidence and Fungi Involved in Discrete Geographical Zones and Varieties

J Fungi (Basel). 2023 Dec 20;10(1):2. doi: 10.3390/jof10010002.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Plant Pathology, School of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
² Laboratory of Mycology, Department of Viticulture, Vegetable Crops, Floriculture and Plant Protection, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DIMITRA, 32A Kastorias Street, Mesa Katsabas, 71307 Heraklion, Greece.
³ Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Stavromenos, 71004 Heraklion, Greece.
⁴ Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Department of Crop Science, School of Plant Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Votanikos, 11855 Athens, Greece.
⁵ Department of Wine, Vine and Beverage Sciences, University of West Attica, Ag. Spyridonos 28, 12243 Athens, Greece.

Abstract

A three-year survey was conducted to estimate the incidence of grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) in Greece and identify fungi associated with the disease complex. In total, 310 vineyards in different geographical regions in northern, central, and southern Greece were surveyed, and 533 fungal strains were isolated from diseased vines. Morphological, physiological and molecular (5.8S rRNA gene-ITS sequencing) analyses revealed that isolates belonged to 35 distinct fungal genera, including well-known (e.g., Botryosphaeria sp., Diaporthe spp., Eutypa sp., Diplodia sp., Fomitiporia sp., Phaeoacremonium spp., Phaeomoniella sp.) and lesser-known (e.g., Neosetophoma sp., Seimatosporium sp., Didymosphaeria sp., Kalmusia sp.) grapevine wood inhabitants. The GTDs-inducing population structure differed significantly among the discrete geographical zones. Phaeomoniella chlamydospora (26.62%, n = 70), Diaporthe spp. (18.25%, n = 48) and F. mediterranea (10.27%, n = 27) were the most prevalent in Heraklion, whereas D. seriata, Alternaria spp., P. chlamydospora and Fusarium spp. were predominant in Nemea (central Greece). In Amyntaio and Kavala (northern Greece), D. seriata was the most frequently isolated species (>50% frequency). Multi-genes (rDNA-ITS, LSU, tef1-α, tub2, act) sequencing of selected isolates, followed by pathogenicity tests, revealed that Neosetophoma italica, Seimatosporium vitis, Didymosphaeria variabile and Kalmusia variispora caused wood infection, with the former being the most virulent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of N. italica associated with GTDs worldwide. This is also the first record of K. variispora, S. vitis and D. variabile associated with wood infection of grapevine in Greece. The potential associations of disease indices with vine age, cultivar, GTD-associated population structure and the prevailing meteorological conditions in different viticultural zones in Greece are presented and discussed.

Keywords: Kalmusia variispora; Neosetophoma italica; Paraconiothyrium variabile; Seimatosporium vitis; meteorological conditions; wood inhabitant.

Grants and funding

6070.03/Greek national funds through the Public Investments Program (PIP) of the General Secretariat for Research & Technology (GSRT), under the Emblematic Action "Routes of Vineyards"