Diversity of Fungal Trunk Pathogens Associated with Grapevine Dieback of Grapevine in Algeria

A significant reduction in vine production has recently been recorded in several vine regions in Algeria due to the death (total or partial) of many vines and to the pulling of many vineyards that had showed too many symptoms of decline. This study was conducted during spring 2010 2012 to detect the responsible agents for this disease. Samples of grapevine wood were collected in five grapevine fields in two regions (Medea and Tipaza). A cross section of infected trunks revealed many types of necrosis: sectorial brown colored, central necrosis sectorial gray and light-brown central necrosis. Several fungi were isolated from the margin between healthy and diseased tissues. Eutypa lata and Fomitiporia mediterranae were identified fungi based on the morphological characteristics of the culture and confirmed by partial sequences analysis of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed Spacer (ITS). The sequences submitted in GenBank under accession number revealed 94-100% homology. F.mediterranae was the dominant species, followed by E. lata. Other fungal species (Alternaria, Fusarium, Pestolozzia, Botrytis, Rhizopus, and Penicillium) were also isolated with high frequency. Two kinds of fruiting structures were found where one type showed the presence of perithecia (sexual form) of Eutypa lata.