Historical hints. Concepts of disease, pathogenicity, virulence, resistance, susceptibility. Kock’s postulates.
Taxonomy and structure of fungi, bacteria and viruses. Symptoms, principles and procedures for a diagnosis. Disease cycle, infection process and influencing factors. Principles of epidemiology. Disease cycle, symptoms and biological and integrated control management of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases of grapevine. Physiological disorders.
- Wilcox, Gubler, Uyemoto eds, 2015 Compendium of Grape Diseases, Disorders, and Pests, Second Edition
- Michele Borgo, 2016 Avversità della vite
- Battilani P., ed Difesa sostenibile dalle malattie. Calderini ed.
Learning Objectives
Basic knowledge of plant pathology, of the biology of the main disease agents and of the control methods. To be able to identify the main grapevine diseases and to set up adequate control strategies
Prerequisites
Courses recommended: Grapevine biology, Microbiology, General viticulture
Teaching Methods
Lessons in the classroom, seminars with experts, field and lab work.
Further information
Attendance is not compulsory but strongly recommended
Type of Assessment
Discussion of tissue samples with symptoms or photographs of plants with symptoms. The student should demonstrate his ability to connect the information acquired on the general part to those acquired on the disease cycle, and on the cultural and environmental factors that determine it in order to prevent its development, integrating and linking the disease cycle and the use of defense means in critical way.
Course program
Content (detailed programme):
Historical hints. Concepts of disease, pathogenicity, virulence, resistance, susceptibility. Kock’s postulates.
Taxonomy and structure of fungi, bacteria and viruses. Symptoms, principles and procedures for a diagnosis. Disease cycle, infection process and influencing factors. Principles of epidemiology.
Abiotic diseases: Main abiotic diseases of grapevine. Means and methods of control: principles: prevention, curative control, resistance, biological control, integrated control and chemical control. Integrated pest management, sustainable disease control and main european and national regulations. Main characteristics of the main tools available in grapevine disease prevention and control: biological tools, biostimulants, and alternatives in general. Main characteristics of the active substances usable on grapevine, resistance to fungicides, certified propagation material.
Fungal diseases. Cycle, biology, main fungicides, control strategy of downy mildew, powdery mildew, grey mould, sour rot, black rot, white rot, main wood diseases (esca complex, grapevine leaf stripe disease, wood cankers, excoriose). Root rot by Armillaria and Rosellinia, black foot. Prokariots: crown gall, Xylophilus ampelina, yellow diseases (flavescence dorée, bois noir), Pierce diseases.. Viral diseases: transmission and infection process in viral diseases, leaf roll, fanleaf, infective spotting, vein necrosis. Lab work. Procedure for a diagnosis, description of symptoms in infected samples. Surveys in grape-growing farms: fungicide storing, management of control plans, “quaderno di campagna”, disease symptoms in the field.
A further detailed programme is given during the course