Esca, BDA and Eutypiosis: foliar symptoms, trunk lesions and fungi observed in diseased vinestocks in two vineyards in Alsace

Abstract

The French vineyard is affected by three principal wood diseases: Eutypa dieback, esca and black dead arm (BDA). Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeocremonium aleophilum, Eutypa lata, Fomitiporia mediterranea, Diplodia seriata, Diplodia mutila and Neofusicoccum parvum are the main fungi isolated in France and associated with grapevine trunk diseases. The aim of this study was to highlight the type of wood lesions and the fungus present in the Alsace vineyards (France) and to compare it with those identified in the other french vine-growing regions or with the German vineyards. Therefore, we have studied two vineyards with two different grapevine varieties ('Auxerrois', 'Gewürztraminer'). The foliar symptoms showed that the plots planted with 'Auxerrois' and 'Gewürztraminer' varieties had respectively 12 and 21 % grapevines with symptoms in 2005. Different cross sections were made on trunks and arms of 55 vines showing foliar symptoms, totalizing 162 microbiological isolations. Visual characterisations of the different lesions were described. The isolations made from the different necrosis showed the presence of species of fungi involved in grapevine trunk diseases and other fungi. Microbiological observations showed that for the Auxerrois vineyard the majority of the vines were infected with D. seriata, P. chlamydospora, E. lata and F. mediterranea. In the Gewürztraminer vineyard, the fungus most frequently isolated was P. chlamydospora, followed by D. seriata. The presence of D. seriata in different parts of the grapevine wood and in young wood is related to the severe damages observed on the vegetation.