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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 #423338
Research Project: Development of Applied Management Systems for Diseases of Perennial Crops with Emphasis on Vector-Borne Pathogens of Grapevine and Citrus

Location: Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research

Title: Early detection of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 in a table and raisin grape germplasm collection in Central California

Author
item Zhai, Ying
item Riaz, Summaira
item Peng, Hao

Submitted to: Vitis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/18/2025
Publication Date: 8/26/2025
Citation: Zhai, Y., Riaz, S., Peng, H. 2025. Early detection of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 in a table and raisin grape germplasm collection in Central California. Vitis. Vitis 2025, 64(7), 7pp. https://doi.org/10.5073/vitis.2025.64.07.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5073/vitis.2025.64.07

Interpretive Summary: Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) causes a devastating disease on most grape growing regions worldwide. Early detection of GLRaV-3 in vineyards is critical for removing infected grapevines before further spread of the virus occurs. We evaluated the efficacy and accuracy of GLRaV-3 detection during the early (March) and late (August) seasons by RT-PCR and ELISA tests of a table grape germplasm collection in Central California. Despite the lower GLRaV-3 detection early in the season compared to late season, all our positive RT-PCR results from early season sampling were accurate and could be used to guide early removal of plants infected by the virus.

Technical Abstract: Grapevine leafroll disease (GLRD) is one of the most devastating viral diseases of grapevines in California. Control strategies include controlling insect vector populations, planting certified virus-free materials, and removing infected vines. Therefore, early detection of the GLRD-causal agent, grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3), is critical for determining the removal targets in the vineyard. Here, we evaluated the efficacy and accuracy of GLRaV-3 early detection by RT-PCR using a table grape germplasm collection in Central California. Results were verified by late detection using ELISA. We found that despite the low GLRaV-3 detection rate, positive RT-PCR results were accurate and could be used to guide early plant removal for preventing virus spread.