A General Approach for Esca Disease in the Vineyards of Turkey

Abstract

Turkey has very suitable climatic conditions for viticulture and a total of 3.7 million tons of grapes are produced yearly on some of 560,000 ha. When compared with other diseases which negatively affect the quality and quantity of grape production, esca disease is not important. It has primarily occurred in the vineyards of the Aegean and Marmara regions and in southern and southeastern Anatolia. According to the data for these regions, the disease rate is very low. In a study in the Marmara region, the disease rate was determined to be 2.61%. In a study conducted in the Aegean region between 1997 and 1998, Stereum hirsutum, Phellinus sp., Phaeoacremonium aleophilum and P. chlamydosporum were isolated from decayed wood of esca-affected grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.). The last two species are reported in Turkey for the first time. Moreover Eutypa lata and Phomopsis viticola were isolated from sectorial brown necrotic areas in the wood.