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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #389495
Research Project: Identification of Novel Management Strategies for Key Pests and Pathogens of Grapevine with Emphasis on the Xylella Fastidiosa Pathosystem

Location: Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research

Title: Isolation and characterization of grapevine Trichoderma spp. for biological control of vineyard diseases

Author
item Wallis, Christopher
item Gorman, Zachary
item Chen, Jianchi

Submitted to: CDFA Pierce's Disease Control Program Research Symposium
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/2021
Publication Date: 12/14/2021
Citation: Wallis, C.M., Gorman, Z.J., Chen, J. 2021. Isolation and characterization of grapevine Trichoderma spp. for biological control of vineyard diseases. CDFA Pierce's Disease Control Program Research Symposium. p.123.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Grapevine trunk diseases, including Pierce’s disease, Bot canker, Eutypa dieback, and Esca, can substantially reduce vineyard yields over time. Pesticide applications are the current major control method, but these cannot be viewed as long-term due to the build-up of resistance and environmental concerns. Thus, an alternative or compliment to pesticides for trunk disease control is the use of biological control agents, including various fungi such as Trichoderma spp. Efforts have been taken to isolate novel Trichoderma spp. strains in California vineyards in order to obtain those that are most hardy at survival in the unique growing regions of the state, ranging from Southern California, to the Central Coast, and throughout the Central Valley. These strains underwent or will undergo screening consisting of competitive co-plating with pathogen, testing spent media for toxin production, and in planta testing to observe capacity to reduce pathogen growth and possible mechanisms. Furthermore, select strains will have complete draft genomes obtained to discover molecular markers related to biocontrol functions. One strain has already been sequenced, with its mitogenome analyzed and published (Wallis et al. 2021) and assembly of a complete draft genome underway. Completion of this work should yield novel biocontrol Trichoderma spp. strains for reducing grapevine trunk diseases, potentially prolonging vineyard lifespans.