European Journal of Plant Pathology (2011) 129, 485-500

Alessandro Spagnolo, Guido Marchi, Francesca Peduto, Alan J.L. Phillips and Giuseppe Surico (2011)
Detection of Botryosphaeriaceae species within grapevine woody tissues by nested PCR, with particular emphasis on the Neofusicoccum parvum/N. ribis complex
European Journal of Plant Pathology 129 (3), 485-500
Abstract: Several species of Botryosphaeriaceae and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora are common agents of grapevine decline worldwide. Currently, the use of culture independent PCR based techniques for detection of Botryosphaeriaceae within grapevine tissues has been limited to Botryosphaeria dothidea. In the present study, two Botryosphaeriaceae specific nested PCR assays were developed. One with a narrow target range, to detect Neofusicoccum parvum and the closely related species complex (Neofusicoccum parvum/N. ribis sensu Pavlic et al. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 51:259-268, 2009) and another, with a wider range, to detect all 17 species of Botryosphaeriaceae which have been reported as potential wood pathogens of grapevine. The effectiveness of these assays was validated in vivo on naturally infected wood samples collected from standing vines and dormant grafted rooted cuttings commercialized in Italy by different nurseries in different years. All samples were also screened by means of a previously published nested PCR assay specific for Phaeomoniella chlamydospora. It was found that: 1) propagation material may play an important role as source of primary inoculum, not only of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, as previously reported, but also for members of the Botryosphaeriaceae, among which Neofusicoccum parvum, Botryosphaeria dothidea and Diplodia seriata are the most common, and 2) multiple infections by different species belonging to Botryosphaeriaceae and/or Phaeomoniella chlamydospora occur frequently both in standing vines and propagation material. This last finding supports the hypothesis that at least some of the non-specific symptoms of grapevine decline may be due to the presence of different pathogens within host tissues.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Alan J.L. Phillips, Guido Marchi

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
identification/taxonomy
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Botryosphaeria dothidea	Grapevine (Vitis)
	Phaeomoniella chlamydospora	Grapevine (Vitis)
	Neofusicoccum ribis	Grapevine (Vitis)
	Neofusicoccum parvum	Grapevine (Vitis)
	Diplodia seriata	Grapevine (Vitis)