Fungal communities living in the wood of different cultivars of young Vitis vinifera plants

Abstract

The fungal communities associated with fi ve Vitis vinifera cultivars grown in Switzerland (‘Humagne’, ‘Chasselas’, ‘Arvine’, ‘Gamaret’ and ‘Gamay’) were examined. Of the 703 fungal isolates obtained in pure culture, 66 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were defi ned. The results show that: the great majority of the fungi isolated in this study were ascomycetes, with a high proportion of Sordariomycetes (mainly Hypocreales, Sordariales and Diaporthales); different fungal OTUs were associated with different cultivars; graft and rootstock contributed equally to the fungal community composition; Esca- or Petri-related species occurred sporadically in the different cultivars, with some of them occupying specifi c tissues or parts of the plant (e.g.: Botryosphaeriaceous species, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Phomopsis viticola); almost 25% of OTUs occurred in different plant parts in most cultivars, which suggests an easy spread outwards from the infected material (graft or rootstock), which might be explained by the fungal propagules being transported through the xylem vessels.