AL&L Crop Solutions cordially invites you to attend a presentation by Dr. Anna-Liisa Fabritius at AAIE Ecological Pest Management Conference in Napa Embassy Suites on February 4th at 1.30 pm.

The presentation will include information about current lab methods in diagnosis of root rot diseases.

Register for this event at http://aaie.net

Visit us at our booth #11 and see what's new and in season for grapevine disease testing!

When: January 30, Wednesday (9-6 pm) and January 31, Thursday (9-4 pm)

Where: Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street, Sacramento, CA

Red Blotch Disease of Grapes – An Incomplete Story

This past summer, two research groups, one in Cornell and the other in UC Davis, reported discovering a novel DNA-virus from grapes. The virus was named as Cabernet Franc -associated virus (GCFaV) by the group in Cornell, and as Grapevine red blotch associated virus (GRBaV) by the scientists in UC Davis. The latter name was given because of the symptoms, blotchy red leaves with red veins, that were found to be associated with the presence of this virus.

 Because of some misleading alarmist information has been released to growers, we at AL&L Crop Solutions found it necessary to clarify the status and the significance of this virus.

 First, before GRBaV can be named as a causal agent of the red blotch disease, a lot more research and information need to be obtained.  Just the fact that the organism has been found to be associated with the disease, does not make it a pathogen, capable of causing the disease.

In plant pathology research, when a finding of an organism in a host plant, such as grapes, is made, very careful studies need to be completed where the organism, as a pure culture, is back-inoculated to a healthy vine that does not harbor that organism. Then, the same symptoms that were observed in the original vine have to be reproduced in the newly inoculated vine. Moreover, from that inoculated, symptomatic vine, the same organism it was inoculated with, needs to be recovered. These steps, also called as Koch’s postulates, have to be fulfilled before the organism gets a title as being a causal agent of the disease. For Red blotch disease, these steps have not yet been fulfilled.

 Second, the GRBaV is apparently a novel-type of DNA virus, and only distantly related to geminiviruses, a group of DNA viruses causing significant diseases in other crops.  While it shares some structural similarities with viruses in that family, its genome is significantly different with only 50% similarity at sequence level.  This means that it is too early and too speculative to make assumptions about the significance of this virus in grapes.

 With any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact a plant disease diagnostic professional:

 Anna-Liisa Fabritius, Ph.D                                         .

Plant Pathologist

AL&L Crop Solutions, Inc.

45133 County RD 32B

Davis, CA 95618

Tel: (530) 387-3270

Email: info@allcropsolutions.com

Website: www.allcropsolutions.com

AL&L Crop Solutions, Inc. is moving to the Real-time:

AL&L Crop Solutions offers now the Real-time PCR technology for the detection of grapevine viruses.

The Real-time (qPCR) is among the newest and most sensitive diagnostic technologies currently available. It provides several advantages compared to the standard RT-PCR and ELISA methods: qPCR detects broader range of virus variants and lower virus concentrations.

Sampling guilines for the qPCR assays are the same: Collect three to six pieces of basal canewood, each six to eight inches long, from different locations from an individual vine. Amount needed for the qPCR assays is minimal, but since the viruses are not evenly distributed within the vine, sampling from different sites of vine increases chances of detection.

For the futher information on how to sample and send samples for the laboratory analysis, please check on our web-site at http://www.allcropsolutions.com

AL&L Crop Solutions,Inc. is proudly sponsoring a NVG Season Event: Sustainable Vineyard Practices Part III: Fan Leaf & Nematodes. 

Join us in Yountville Community Hall, 6516 Yount Street, Yountville Tuesday, May 29, 2012 from 8 a.m.-11 a.m.

http://www.napagrowers.org/events/nvg-events-2012/sustainable-vineyard-practices-series/part-iii-root-pests-fan-leaf-nematodes/

Spring is one of the best times for observation of grapevine disease symptoms. One of the first springtime symptoms of virus-infected vines is delayed bud break. New growth in vines infected with a nepovirus, such as fanleaf virus, is often stunted and leaves may be distorted or chlorotic. Yellow coloration along the veins (vein banding) may also develop.

New growth in vines infected with Pierce’s disease from previous season is often slow and new shoots are stunted. Leaves may also appear deformed and chlorotic.

Springtime symptoms of vine decline disease caused by Phaeoacemonium spp. and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora are also indicated by delayed growth. Newly emerging shoots are weak with less vigor.

Vines infected with canker fungi often show delayed bud break along with stunted and weak shoot growth. Leaf symptoms of Eutypa dieback that appear usually later in spring or early summer are unique to Eutypa. Toxins produced by Eutypa fungi cause leaves in infected vines grow small, distorted and cupped.

Spring field surveys and inspections are available at AL&L Crop Solutions.

Please contact us for more information : Tel: (530) 387-3270 or go to http://www.allcropsolutions.com

AL&L Crop Solutions is dedicated to providing plant disease diagnostic services to California’s as well as other states’ agricultural industry. We are a disease diagnostic laboratory specializing in diseases of wood perennials grapevines, fruit and nut trees.

• We also provide testing for diseases of field crops, berries, vegetables, bulbs and turf.
• Our soil testing services are designed to detect most important soil-borne pathogen impeding agricultural production.
• Our customers include growers, nurseries, agricultural consultants management and service companies.

• Early diagnosis of disease problems allows for timely control strategies resulting in savings.
• Screening of propagation material prior to planting assures the health and productivity of your crop