Resistance and tolerance of grapevine rootstocks to plant parasitic nematodes in vineyards in north-east Victoria

Abstract

Three grapevine rootstock trials in North-East Victoria, Australia, were sampled over several summers to determine nematode populations and the resistance or the tolerance of some commonly used winegrape varieties and rootstocks to plant parasitic nematodes. Rootstocks on which nematodes failed to reproduce or reproduced poorly were considered resistant, rootstocks which supported high populations of nematodes with no apparent effect on yield were considered tolerant. Susceptible rootstocks supported high numbers of nematodes and yielded poorly. The varieties studied were: Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon; and the rootstocks were: Harmony, Richter 110, Schwarzmann, ARG No. 1, 5A Teleki, Rupestris du Lot, 5BB Kober, SO4, Ramsey, K5 1-32 and 1202. The plant parasitic nematodes found on the trial sites were root-knot (Meloidogyne javanica (Treub) Chitwood) and citrus (Tylenchulus semipenetrans Cobb) nematodes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz and ARG No. 1 were susceptible to the root-knot nematode. Harmony exhibited tolerance to the citrus nematode and was a good host, allowing a large population to build up. Ramsey appeared to be resistant to the citrus nematode, at least in the Cabernet Sauvignon rootstock trial at Wahgunyah.