New challenges on the control of Flavescence dorée in grapevine: exploiting genetic resources and the use of elicitors

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Conventional and novel approaches for managing “flavescence dorée” in grapevine: knowledge gaps and future prospects

Publication . Oliveira, M. J. R. A.; Roriz, M.; Vasconcelos, M. W.; Bertaccini, A.; Carvalho, S. M. P.

“Flavescence dorée” (FD) is a grapevine quarantine disease associated with phytoplasmas and transmitted to healthy plants by insect vectors, mainly Scaphoideus titanus. Development of efficient methods for its control has been hampered by the lack of knowledge about phytoplasma biological properties, linked also to difficulties in its in vitro cultivation. Conventional management strategies rely mainly on the application of insecticide treatments, roguing of infected plants and production of phytoplasma‐free propagation material. However, these strategies are costly and could have undesirable environmental impacts. Novel approaches are being investigated using transcriptomic and proteomic tools that can assist in identifying key regulators expressed by diseased, recovered and healthy plants. These studies allowed the identification of molecular profiles linked to the grapevine cultivar‐diverse susceptibility that are of great interest for the development of FD less susceptible plants by breeding programmes. Other promising FD management strategies include the use of grapevine endophytic microorganisms with known biocontrol properties and endophytes living inside specialized insect cells, which can be potential candidates for FD vector control. Finally, the application of plant defence elicitors might be an interesting tool for FD containment, but more research is needed before it can be implemented. In this review, the methodologies used for detecting and confining FD diffusion are discussed, focusing mainly on conventional tools, current research perspectives and knowledge gaps.

2019Journal article

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Does salicylic acid alleviate the impacts on growth, development and productivity of “flavescence dorée” in Portuguese “Vinhos Verdes” grapevines?

Publication . Oliveira, Manuel J.R.A.; Vasconcelos, Marta; Castro, Sandra; Bertaccini, Assunta; Carvalho, Susana M. P.

“Flavescence dorée” (FD) is a quarantine disease of great concern to the stability and sustainability of the wine industry, due to drastic harvest losses and death of infected plants. Previous studies have suggested that salicylic acid (SA) may improve the plant resistance against grapevine diseases, but no studies have been carried out for FD. The effect of 25 mM SA applied at the flowering stage to healthy and FD infected grapevines cultivar Loureiro was evaluated in a field trial. The evaluation of development and productivity (percentage of budburst, fertility index, time to veraison, and chlorophyll content) and grape quality parameters (degree Brix and titrable acidity) was carried out. Fertility index and chlorophyll content were significantly lower in infected plants and SA partly reduced the FD symptoms, since at veraison these plants did not show significant differences when compared to healthy plants for those parameters. However the productivity was significantly lower in the infected plants, with no significant effect of SA application. The berry quality was no significantly different comparing healthy and infected plants or SA-treated and untreated plants.

2019Journal article

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