Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2018-2019)

Agrobacterium vitis is the causal agent of grapevine crown gall, an economically important disease in coldx000D
climate viticulture regions. The disease occurs frequently in Okanagan vineyards and limits grape productionx000D
and lifespan of vineyards. The pathogen spreads either through infected grapevine nursery stock or infectsx000D
healthy grapevines planted in soil harbouring A. vitis. Wounds in the grapevine trunk or canes due to winterx000D
freezing or mechanical injuries lead to the development of galls. In our earlier Engage grant-funded study wex000D
developed a rapid and sensitive protocol to quantify A. vitis in grapevine nursery stock. This allows us tox000D
screen grapevines that have been purchased by the grape industry before planting into a vineyard. To preventx000D
infection of healthy stock from A. vitis residing in soil, a protocol to quantify the A. vitis soil population isx000D
urgently needed. Here we propose to expand the existing protocol to quantify A. vitis from virgin and vineyardx000D
soil. We will also determine the threshold concentration of A. vitis in soil that will result in the development ofx000D
crown gall disease in a greenhouse experiment. This will lead to valuable information for growers to determinex000D
the risk of infection when a new vineyard is established. Our protocols will form the basis for the developmentx000D
of a biocontrol for crown gall disease in future projects.