Length heterogeneity-PCR assays, combined with statistical analyses, highlighted that the endophytic bacterial community associated with healthy grapevines was characterized by a greater diversity than that present in diseased and recovered plants. The findings suggest that phytoplasmas can restructure the bacterial community by selecting endophytic strains that could elicit a plant defense res...

Here, we report the complete 5.3-Mb genome sequence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola (CCRMXCV 80), which causes grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) bacterial canker. Genome data will improve our understanding of the strain's comparative genomics and epidemiology, and help to further define plant protection and quarantine procedures.

Plant parasitic nematodes, including root knot nematode Meloidogyne species, cause extensive damage to agriculture and horticultural crops. As Vitis vinifera cultivars are susceptible to root knot nematode parasitism, rootstocks resistant to these soil pests provide a sustainable approach to maintain grapevine production. Currently, most of the commercially available root knot nematode resistan...

BACKGROUND Agrobacterium vitis is a causal agent of crown-gall disease. Trifolitoxin (TFX) is a peptide antibiotic active only against members of a specific group of alpha-proteobacteria that includes Agrobacterium and its close relatives. The ability of TFX production by an avirulent strain of Agrobacterium to reduce crown gall disease is examined here. RESULTS TFX was shown to be inhibitory...

Potted grapevines of 140 Ruggeri (Vitis berlandieri × Vitis rupestris), a good Cl(-) excluder, and K 51-40 (Vitis champinii × Vitis riparia 'Gloire'), a poor Cl(-) excluder, and of a family obtained by crossing the two genotypes, were used to examine the inheritance of Cl(-) exclusion. Rooted leaves were then used to further investigate the mechanism for Cl(-) exclusion in 140 Ruggeri. In both ...

Leaves were sampled from Vitis labruscana Bailey cv. ‘Niagara’ and the interspecific hybrid ‘DeChaunac’ grapevines several times during a 2-year investigation of leaf area estimation. Linear measurements of leaf length and width were made and correlated with leaf area measurements made with a computerized image processing system. For each cultivar, nine regression equations were derived and com...

• Flower formation in grapevines follows 3 steps: 1) formation of uncommitted primordia, also called anlagen, within the latent buds; 2) differentiation of uncommitted primordia into inflorescence primordia; and 3) differentiation of inflorescence primordia into individual flowers . Steps 1 and 2 happen during the previous season, whereas Step 3 does not happen until budbreak of the current sea...