Biocontrol of Grapevine Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Grapevine crops are present in many countries, and they are subject to a variety of pathogenic attacks. Emphasis is placed here on pathogens that, by attacking grapevine organs such as leaves, grapes or wood, decrease plant productivity and longevity and diminish wine quality, causing considerable economic losses to the viticulture sector. The main leaf and berry pathogens are grey mold or powdery and downy mildews. Wood pathogens are known as grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs), and their re-emergence within the span of just two decades, since the late 1990s, has become a subject of major concern for the viticulture sector. The main table grape- or wine-producing regions throughout the world are being attacked by these diseases, and with the exception of GTDs, they are frequently controlled by chemical pesticides, mostly fungicides, used especially for mildews. As regards GTDs, no curative control methods have been available in Europe since the ban of sodium arsenite in the early 2000s, and experiments on fungicides have not produced any satisfactory curative or preventive products to control GTDs worldwide. As a consequence, studies on biological control based on microorganisms or natural products, are currently on the surge, aiming to find a suitable solution against grapevine diseases.

In this issue, special focus will be given to potential microbial biocontrol agents (BCAs) that are mostly indigenous colonizers of grapevine organs (e.g., roots, leaves, grapes, wood tissues). In order to improve and secure BCA efficacy from one year to another, the approach consists in testing BCAs in mother vines during the propagation process and in vineyards. Induction of plant resistance and/or physiological stress of pathogenic fungi is a consequence of BCA application on grapevines. New combinations of BCAs with different modes of action can be used. Depending on the BCAs, their incidence, and the behavior of specific BCAs on various cultivars, their influence on indigenous grapevine–microbial communities over time may vary. This Special Issue will focus on microbial BCAs, but their secondary metabolites or enzymes or natural compounds can also be used. Special attention will be given to the combination of different strategies—for instance, BCAs and other plant protection practices, such as cultural methods or tolerant plants.

In this Special Issue of the Journal of Fungi on “Biocontrol of Grapevine Diseases”, research papers or reviews on the following areas of research are welcome:

• Native microbial strains that colonize the various organs of grapevines as a potential source of BCA to be used against grapevine diseases;
• Deciphering the direct or indirect mode of action of BCA used to control grapevine pathogens;
• Plant/pathogen/BCA interactions via -omics approaches to study induced resistance on grapevine and/or the physiological stress of pathogenic fungi;
• Microbial secondary metabolites or enzymes, or natural compounds, used to control grapevine diseases;
• Influence of BCAs on the diversity and composition of indigenous grapevine–microbial communities over time.

Prof. Dr. Patrice Rey
Dr. Eleonore Attard
Dr. Rana Haidar
Dr. Amira Yacoub
Guest Editors

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• biocontrol agents (BCA)
• grapevine diseases
• microorganisms
• natural compounds
• combination of BCAs
• induction of resistance
• pathogenic fungal stress
• native microbial communities