Young Esca in Australia

Abstract

Young esca was monitored on 3 to 7-year-old grapevines in two vineyards in the Riverland region of Australia over two seasons (1999–’00 and 2000–’01). The affected cultivars were own-rooted Shiraz, own-rooted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grafted onto Kober 5BB. Some of the Cabernet Sauvignon vines began to show symptoms as young as two-years-old. Phaeomoniella chlamydospora was the only esca-associated fungus consistently isolated from symptomatic vines, suggesting that P. chlamydospora alone is responsible for esca symptoms. Spatial analysis was unable to reveal any consistent pattern of symptom distribution.