Occurrence of the Eutypa lata sexual stage on grapevine in Rioja

Abstract

Eutypa dieback symptoms on grapevine have been reported in Rioja Alavesa since the nineteen eighties. However, attempts to fi nd the perithecia of Eutypa lata in vineyards were not successful. Old vineyards in the Rioja Alavesa region were inspected for the presence of such perithecia. They were eventually detected in a 80-year-old Tempranillo vineyard in Laguardia. The morphology and size of the perithecia and the ascospores, as well as the colony features of the isolates on PDA were in agreement with those previously described for E. lata. The identifi cation was confi rmed by PCR using specifi c primers, as well as by sequence analysis of the rDNA ITS1/5.8S/ITS2 region. This is the fi rst report of perithecia of E. lata in Rioja Alavesa and will improve understanding of the disease cycle of Eutypa dieback of grapevine in this region.