Grapevine cultivars are more vulnerable to a specific clade of downy mildew
Researchers tested the most commonly grown grapevine cultivar to see how vulnerable it was to two clades of downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola): clade riparia and clade aestivalis.
Read this paper in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science.
The susceptibility of grapevine cultivars was different regardless of whether the host genotype has a pure European ancestry or an American–European mixed ancestry.
Some groups of grapevine cultivars were found to be minimally susceptible, others moderately susceptible, and others highly susceptible to each of the two clades.
Overall, grapevine cultivars were more susceptible to clade aestivalis than to clade riparia.
The results of this study highlight the importance of knowing which clade of P. viticola is present in vineyards to support the sustainable management of downy mildew.
Future research should evaluate gene expression involved in the defense mechanisms of grapevine cultivars.
Read the paper — Anatomic and genetic factors associated with the susceptibility of grapevine cultivars to Plasmopara viticola clade aestivalis and clade riparia by R.A. Mouafo-Tchinda, M.L. Fall, C. Beaulieu, and O. Carisse.
