Variation in Fungal Community in Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) Nursery Stock Depends on Nursery, Variety and Rootstock

Diplodia seriata Biocontrol Is Altered via Temperature and the Control of Bacteria

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) attack the vine's wood, devastating vineyards worldwide. Chile is the world's fourth-largest wine exporter, and Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most economically important red wine varieties. Botryosphaeria dieback is an important GTD, and Diplodia seriata is one of the main pathogenic species. Biocontrol studies of these pathogens are commonly carried out at different incubation times but at a single temperature. This study aimed to evaluate the biocontrol effect of Chilean PGPB and grapevine endophytic bacteria against D. seriata at different temperatures. We analyzed the biocontrol effect of Pseudomonas sp. GcR15a, Pseudomonas sp. AMCR2b and Rhodococcus sp. PU4, with three D. seriata isolates (PUCV 2120, PUCV 2142 and PUCV 2183) at 8, 22 and 35 °C. Two dual-culture antagonism methods (agar plug diffusion and double plate) were used to evaluate the in vitro effect, and an in vivo test was performed with Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings. In vitro, the greatest inhibitions were obtained using the agar plug diffusion method and at a temperature of 8 °C, where Rhodococcus sp. PU4 obtains a 65% control (average) and Pseudomonas sp. GcR15a a 57% average. At 22 °C, only strains of Pseudomonas sp. show control. At 35 °C, one Pseudomonas strain shows the highest control (38%), on average, similar to tebuconazole (33%), and then Rhodococcus sp. (30%). In vivo, a biocontrol effect is observed against two D. seriata isolates, while the PUCV 2142 proves to be more resistant to control. The biocontrol ability at low temperatures is promising for effective control in the field, where infections occur primarily in winter.

Exploring Factors Conditioning the Expression of Botryosphaeria Dieback in Grapevine for Integrated Management of the Disease

Species from the Botryosphaeriaceae family are the causal agents of Botryosphaeria dieback (BD), a worldwide grapevine trunk disease. Because of their lifestyle and their adaptation to a wide range of temperatures, these fungi constitute a serious threat to vineyards and viticulture, especially in the actual context of climate change. Grapevine plants from both nurseries and vineyards are very susceptible to infections by botryosphaeriaceous fungi due to several cuts and wounds made during their propagation process and their entire life cycle, respectively. When decline becomes chronic or apoplectic, it reduces the longevity of the vineyard and affects the quality of the wine, leading to huge economic losses. Given the environmental impact of fungicides, and their short period of effectiveness in protecting pruning wounds, alternative strategies are being developed to fight BD fungal pathogens and limit their propagation. Among them, biological control has been recognized as a promising and sustainable alternative. However, there is still no effective strategy for combating this complex disease, conditioned by both fungal life traits and host tolerance traits, in relationships with the whole microbiome/microbiota. To provide sound guidance for an effective and sustainable integrated management of BD, by combining the limitation of infection risk, tolerant grapevine cultivars, and biological control, this review explores some of the factors conditioning the expression of BD in grapevine. Among them, the lifestyle of BD-associated pathogens, their pathogenicity factors, the cultivar traits of tolerance or susceptibility, and the biocontrol potential of Bacillus spp. and Trichoderma spp. are discussed.

Health Status of Ready-to-Plant Grapevine Nursery Material in Canada Regarding Young Vine Decline Fungi

Young vine decline (YVD), caused by several taxonomically different fungi, results in the decline and death of grapevines within a few years after planting. Infection can occur in nursery mother blocks and/or at several stages in the nursery propagation process, but the final plant material may remain asymptomatic. Four nurseries that sell ready-to-plant grapevines in Canada were sampled to evaluate the health status with regard to YVD fungi, including Botryosphaeriaceae spp., Cadophora luteo-olivacea, Dactylonectria macrodidyma, Dactylonectria torresensis, Phaeoacremonium minimum, and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora. Plants representing three cultivars, 'Chardonnay', 'Merlot', and 'Pinot noir', either grafted onto '3309C' rootstock or self-rooted, were provided by the nurseries. Samples from the roots, base of the rootstock or self-rooted cultivar, graft-union, and scion were collected from each plant. DNA was extracted, and the total abundance of each fungus was quantified using Droplet Digital PCR. Results revealed that 99% of plants harbored at least one of the fungi studied, with a mean of three different fungal species that were present per grapevine. Droplet Digital PCR results showed that the abundance of the different fungi significantly varied between different sections of each plant, individual plants for each cultivar, and cultivars from the same nursery. Necrosis measurements were recorded from the base of the rootstock or self-rooted cultivars and did not correlate with fungal abundance recorded in that section for each grapevine, but necrosis was consistent across cultivars within nurseries. Five different rootstocks were compared from one nursery, and results showed no differences between rootstocks and their health status. Among all nurseries, C. luteo-olivacea was the most prevalent fungus (97% of the plants), while D. macrodidyma was the least commonly found (13% of the plants). This study shows that ready-to-plant nursery material sold in Canada is likely to be infected with several YVD fungi and that presence and abundance of fungi vary significantly among individual grapevines and nurseries.

Metagenomic Study of Fungal Microbial Communities in Two PDO Somontano Vineyards (Huesca, Spain): Effects of Age, Plant Genotype, and Initial Phytosanitary Status on the Priming and Selection of their Associated Microorganisms

The study of microbial communities associated with different plants of agronomic interest has allowed, in recent years, to answer a number of questions related to the role and influence of certain microbes in key aspects of their autoecology, such as improving the adaptability of the plant host to different abiotic or biotic stresses. In this study, we present the results of the characterization, through both high-throughput sequencing and classical microbiological methods, of the fungal microbial communities associated with grapevine plants in two vineyards of different ages and plant genotypes located in the same biogeographical unit. The study is configured as an approximation to the empirical demonstration of the concept of "microbial priming" by analyzing the alpha- and beta-diversity present in plants from two plots subjected to the same bioclimatic regime to detect differences in the structure and taxonomic composition of the populations. The results were compared with the inventories of fungal diversity obtained by culture-dependent methods to establish, where appropriate, correlations between both microbial communities. Metagenomic data showed a differential enrichment of the microbial communities in the two vineyards studied, including the populations of plant pathogens. This is tentatively explained due to factors such as the different time of exposure to microbial infection, different plant genotype, and different starting phytosanitary situation. Thus, results suggest that each plant genotype recruits differential fungal communities and presents different profiles of associated potential microbial antagonists or communities of pathogenic species.

Pruning Wound Protection Products Induce Alterations in the Wood Mycobiome Profile of Grapevines

Fungal pathogens involved in grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) may infect grapevines throughout their lifetime, from nursery to vineyard, via open wounds in stems, canes or roots. In vineyards, pruning wound protection products (PWPPs) offer the best means to reduce the chance of infection by GTD fungi. However, PWPPs may affect non-target microorganisms that comprise the natural endophytic mycobiome residing in treated canes, disrupting microbial homeostasis and indirectly influencing grapevine health. Using DNA metabarcoding, we characterized the endophytic mycobiome of one-year-old canes of cultivars Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in two vineyards in Portugal and Italy and assessed the impact of established and novel PWPPs on the fungal communities of treated canes. Our results reveal a large fungal diversity (176 taxa), and we report multiple genera never detected before in grapevine wood (e.g., Symmetrospora and Akenomyces). We found differences in mycobiome beta diversity when comparing vineyards (p = 0.01) but not cultivars (p > 0.05). When examining PWPP-treated canes, we detected cultivar- and vineyard-dependent alterations in both alpha and beta diversity. In addition, numerous fungal taxa were over- or under-represented when compared to control canes. Among them, Epicoccum sp., a beneficial genus with biological control potential, was negatively affected by selected PWPPs. This study demonstrates that PWPPs induce alterations in the fungal communities of grapevines, requiring an urgent evaluation of their direct and indirect effects on plants health with consideration of factors such as climatic conditions and yearly variations, in order to better advise viticulturists and policy makers.

Belowground microbiota analysis indicates that Fusarium spp. exacerbate grapevine trunk disease

BACKGROUND

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are disease complexes that are major threats to viticulture in most grapevine growing regions. The microbiomes colonizing plant belowground components form complex associations with plants, play important roles in promoting plant productivity and health in natural environments, and may be related to GTD development. To investigate associations between belowground fungal communities and GTD symptomatic or asymptomatic grapevines, fungal communities associated with three soil-plant compartments (bulk soils, rhizospheres, and roots) were characterized by ITS high-throughput amplicon sequencing across two years.

RESULTS

The fungal community diversity and composition differs according to the soil-plant compartment type (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001, 12.04% of variation explained) and sampling year (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001, 8.83%), whereas GTD symptomatology exhibited a weaker, but still significant association (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001, 1.29%). The effects of the latter were particularly prominent in root and rhizosphere community comparisons. Many GTD-associated pathogens were detected, but their relative abundances were not correlated (or were negatively correlated) to symptomatology. Fusarium spp., were enriched in symptomatic roots and rhizospheres compared to asymptomatic counterparts, suggesting that their abundances were positively correlated with symptomatic vines. Inoculation tests revealed that Fusarium isolates, similar to Dactylonectria macrodidyma, a pathogen associated with black foot disease, caused dark brown necrotic spots on stems in addition to root rot, which blackened lateral roots. Disease indices were higher with co-inoculation than single inoculation with a Fusarium isolate or D. macrodidyma, suggesting that Fusarium spp. can exacerbate disease severity when inoculated with other known GTD-associated pathogens.

CONCLUSIONS

The belowground fungal microbiota of grapevines varied from soil-plant compartments, the years and whether showed GTD symptoms. The GTDs symptoms were related to the enrichment of Fusarium spp. rather than the relative abundances of GTD pathogens. These results demonstrate the effects of fungal microbiota of roots and rhizospheres on GTDs, while providing new insights into opportunistic pathogenesis of GTDs and potential control practices.

Soil composition and rootstock genotype drive the root associated microbial communities in young grapevines

Soil microbiota plays a significant role in plant development and health and appears to be a major component of certain forms of grapevine decline. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the impact of the microbiological quality of the soil and grapevine rootstock genotype on the root microbial community and development of young plants. Two rootstocks heterografted with the same scion were grown in two vineyard soils differing in microbial composition and activities. After 4 months, culture-dependent approaches and amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS were performed on roots, rhizosphere and bulk soil samples. The root mycorrhizal colonization and number of cultivable microorganisms in the rhizosphere compartment of both genotypes were clearly influenced by the soil status. The fungal diversity and richness were dependent on the soil status and the rootstock, whereas bacterial richness was affected by the genotype only. Fungal genera associated with grapevine diseases were more abundant in declining soil and related root samples. The rootstock affected the compartmentalization of microbial communities, underscoring its influence on microorganism selection. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) confirmed the presence of predominant root-associated bacteria. These results emphasized the importance of rootstock genotype and soil composition in shaping the microbiome of young vines.

Fungal Grapevine Trunk Diseases in Romanian Vineyards in the Context of the International Situation

Vitis vinifera, known as the common grape vine, represents one of the most important fruit crops in the world. Romania is a wine-producing country with a rich and long tradition in viticulture. In the last decade, increasing reports of damage caused by grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) have raised concerns in all wine producing countries. Up to now, no study was performed regarding the GTDs situation in Romania, an important grapevine grower in Europe. In this study, we aim, after a comprehensive presentation of the fungal GTDs worldwide, to review the scientific information related to these diseases in Romania in order to open a national platform in an international framework. In order to achieve this, we consulted over 500 references from different scientific databases and cited 309 of them. Our review concludes that, in Romania, there is little amount of available literature on this matter. Three out of six fungal GTDs are reported and well documented in all of the Romanian viticultural zones (except for viticultural zone 4). These are Eutypa dieback, Phomopsis dieback, and Esca disease. Of the fungal pathogens considered responsible Eutypa lata, Phomopsis viticola and Stereum hirsutum are the most studied and well documented in Romania. Management measures are quite limited, and they mostly include preventive measures to stop the GTDs spread and the removal of affected grapevines.

Stilbocrea banihashemiana sp. nov. a New Fungal Pathogen Causing Stem Cankers and Twig Dieback of Fruit Trees

Stem cankers and twig dieback were the most serious disease of fig (Ficus carica) and loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) noticed in a survey of fruit tree orchards in the Fars Province, Iran. Isolates of Bionectriaceae were consistently recovered from symptomatic fig and loquat trees. Phylogenetic analyses of multiple nuclear loci, internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) of rDNA, RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2), and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1), combined with morphological observations, revealed that isolates could be referred to a still unknown taxon, which was formally described as Stilbocrea banihashemiana sp. nov. Phylogenetically, isolates from fig and loquat trees clustered in a well-supported monophyletic group within the Stilbocrea clade of Bionectriaceae, closely related to S. walteri. Stilbocrea banihashemiana sp. nov. was characterized by the lack of stilbella-like asexual structure in both natural substrates and pure cultures and produced two morphologically distinct types of conidia, globose and cylindrical, formed on short and long simple phialides. In pathogenicity tests, S. banihashemiana sp. nov. induced stem cankers in both fig and loquat, wood discoloration in fig and twig dieback in loquat. Pathogenicity tests also showed that the potential host range of this novel pathogen includes other economically relevant horticultural trees.

Hot Water Treatment Causes Lasting Alteration to the Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Mycobiome and Reduces Pathogenic Species Causing Grapevine Trunk Diseases

The effective management of grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) is an ongoing challenge. Hot water treatment (HWT) is an environmentally friendly and economically viable option; however, the short-term effects of HWT on grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) health and production are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of HWT on plant growth and fungal community structure in nursery stock until plants were completely established in the field. We assessed eleven graft and three rootstock varieties from four local nurseries in a region of Catalonia (NE Spain) where GTDs are a serious threat. After treatment, the plants were left to grow under field conditions for two growing seasons. Metabarcoding of the ITS region was used to study the mycobiomes of plant graft unions and root collars. We also assessed the influence of plant physiological indicators in community composition. Hot water treatment caused lasting changes in GTD communities in both the root collar and graft union that were not always characterized as a reduction of GTD-related fungi. However, HWT reduced the relative abundance of some serious GTD-associated pathogens such as Cadophora luteo-olivacea in graft tissues, and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Neofusicoccum parvum in the root collar. Treatment had the greatest influence on the total and GTD-related fungal communities of Chardonnay and Xarel·lo, respectively. Total community variation was driven by treatment and nursery in rootstocks, whereas HWT most significantly affected the GTD community composition in R-110 rootstock. In conclusion, changes in fungal abundance were species-specific and mostly dependent on the plant tissue type; however, HWT did reduce plant biomass accumulation in the short-term.

Lignans Extract from Knotwood of Norway Spruce—A Possible New Weapon against GTDs

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) pose a major threat to the wine industry worldwide. Currently, efficient biological methods or chemical compounds are not available for the treatment of infected grapevines. In the present study, we used an extract from the knotwood of spruce trees as a biological control against GTDs. Our in vitro trial was focused on the antifungal effects of the extract against the most common GTD pathogens—Cadophora luteo-olivacea, Dactylonectria torresensis, Diaporthe ampelina, Diaporthe bohemiae, Diplodia seriata, Eutypa lata, and Phaeoacremonium minimum. Our in vitro trial revealed a high antifungal effect of the extract against all tested fungi. The inhibition rates varied among the different species from 30% to 100% using 1 mg·mL⁻¹ extract. Subsequently, the efficiency of the extract was supported by an in planta experiment. Commercial grafts of Vitis vinifera were treated with the extract and planted. The total genomic DNA of grapevines was extracted 10 days and 180 days after the treatment. The fungal microbial diversities of the treated/untreated plants were compared using high-throughput amplicon sequencing (HTAS). Treated plants showed 76.9% lower relative abundance of the genus Diaporthe and 70% lower relative abundance of the genus Phaeoacremonium 10 days after treatment. A similar scenario was observed for the genus Cadophora 180 days after treatment, where treated plants showed 76% lower relative abundance of this genus compared with untreated grapevines.

Metagenomic Assessment Unravels Fungal Microbiota Associated to Grapevine Trunk Diseases

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are among the most important problems that affect the longevity and productivity of vineyards in all the major growing regions of the world. They are slow-progression diseases caused by several wood-inhabiting fungi with similar life cycles and epidemiology. The simultaneous presence of multiple trunk pathogens in a single plant together with the inconsistent GTDs symptoms expression, their isolation in asymptomatic plants, and the absence of effective treatments make these diseases extremely complex to identify and eradicate. Aiming to gain a better knowledge of GTDs and search sustainable alternatives to limit their development, the present work studied the fungal community structure associated with GTDs symptomatic and asymptomatic grapevines, following a metagenomic approach. Two important cultivars from the Alentejo region with different levels of susceptibility to GTDs were selected, namely, ‘Alicante Bouschet’ and ‘Trincadeira’. Deep sequencing of fungal-directed ITS1 amplicon led to the detection of 258 taxa, including 10 fungi previously described as responsible for GTDs. Symptomatic plants exhibited a lower abundance of GTDs-associated fungi, although with significantly higher diversity of those pathogens. Our results demonstrated that trunk diseases symptoms are intensified by a set of multiple GTDs-associated fungi on the same plant. The composition of fungal endophytic communities was significantly different according to the symptomatology and it was not affected by the cultivar. This study opens new perspectives in the study of GTDs-associated fungi and their relation to the symptomatology in grapevines.

The Grapevine Microbiome to the Rescue: Implications for the Biocontrol of Trunk Diseases

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are one of the most devastating pathologies that threaten the survival and profitability of vineyards around the world. Progressive banning of chemical pesticides and their withdrawal from the market has increased interest in the development of effective biocontrol agents (BCAs) for GTD treatment. In recent years, considerable progress has been made regarding the characterization of the grapevine microbiome, including the aerial part microbiome (flowers, berries and leaves), the wood microbiome, the root environment and vineyard soil microbiomes. In this work, we review these advances especially in relation to the etiology and the understanding of the composition of microbial populations in plants affected by GTDs. We also discuss how the grapevine microbiome is becoming a source for the isolation and characterization of new, more promising BCAs that, in the near future, could become effective tools for controlling these pathologies.