Plant Pathology (2012) 61, 719-729

N.T. Amponsah, E.E. Jones, H.J. Ridgway and M.V. Jaspers (2012)
Susceptibility of grapevine tissues to Neofusicoccum luteum conidial infection
Plant Pathology 61 (4), 719-729
Abstract: This study investigated the ability of Neofusicoccum luteum to infect wounded shoots, trunks, pruned cane ends, leaf surfaces, buds, berries and roots, and its further progression into stem tissues. All tissue types were susceptible to infection except roots, with highest incidences in trunks (100%), cane ends (100%), shoots (92%) and buds (88%), indicating that in New Zealand, N. luteum is primarily a trunk and shoot pathogen. In trunks, there were no external symptoms, although N. luteum could be reisolated from 60 to 70 cm acropetally from the inoculation site after 4 months, by which time the pathogen had progressed into side shoots which became necrotic. Wounded and non-wounded buds became infected; most were killed, with basipetal progression of the pathogen into the supporting shoots. Berries wounded and inoculated at the pre-bunch closure stage were susceptible to N. luteum infection, with isolation incidence increasing over the season and peaking at harvest, when infected berries became mummified and produced pycnidia with many conidia. The pathogen was also able to progress from berries into bunch stems and supporting canes. Results from this research have indicated that N. luteum infection can occur in all aerial grapevine tissues and progress to young stem tissues where it causes wood necrosis. Growers should remove mummified berries from vineyard trash to ensure that pruning and trimming times do not coincide with rainy periods when conidia are released and dispersed. Furthermore, the susceptibility of buds to N. luteum infection indicates the need for fungicide sprays before budburst in spring.
(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): Nicholas Tabi Amponsah, Marlene V. Jaspers, Hayley J. Ridgway, E. Eirian Jones

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
population dynamics/ epidemiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Neofusicoccum luteum	Grapevine (Vitis)	New Zealand