A dynamic mechanistic model for Diaporthe ampelina for enhancing IPM in Montenegrin and Italian viticulture: VITISUST Project

Phomopsis cane and leaf spot disease (PCLS) is one of the most important grapevine diseases in Montenegro and is re-emerging in other European areas, including Italy. It occurs every year and causes considerable damage. Recently, a bilateral project for ‘Italy-Montenegro Joint Science and Technology Cooperation’ in the area Agriculture and Food Sciences was settled up in order to develop and calibrate a new model for PCLS management. The VITISUST Project is supported by Foreign Affairs Ministries of both Countries. In 2018, studies about overwintering structures of the pathogen were carried out in continuation of previous studies conducted in 2016 and 2017, and a model prototype was developed. In 2019, specific observations on disease dynamics have been carried out in the two Countries. The disease assessment was performed on typical varieties Barbera and Vranac in Italy and Montenegro, respectively, both trained at double guyot, by mean of a visual assessment at dormant stage (i.e., presence and type of symptoms on canes) and during the growing season (i. e., symptoms appearance on leaves and shoots). First symptoms were observed 22 and 19 days after bud break in Montenegro and Italy, respectively, and the final disease incidence was 54.3 % and 50.5 % of the shoots, respectively. The highest disease severity was observed on shoots in the basal and apical sector of the winter cane (curved down) while the shoots developed from the buds located on the top of the cane curve were not affected. After validation in 2020, the PCLS will be implemented in the decision support system vite.net®, which is currently used by hundreds of growers across Europe for managing other relevant grape diseases.