Impact of nematodes on grapevine growth and productivity: Current knowledge and future directions, with special reference to Australian viticulture

Abstract

Grapevines, like most other crops and especially horticultural crops, suffer from attacks by plant-pathogenic nematodes. The types of nematodes found in vineyards and their distribution in Australia and other regions of the world are described, together with an assessment of their impact on vineyard productivity. Relationships between nematode population density and potential damage to grapevines is tabulated, based on published data. Information on reducing nematode impact by means of rootstocks is summarised and also tabulated. Control by other means is discussed, including soil fumigants and nematicides, biological control agents and plants with nematicidal properties. Special attention is paid to improving nematode resistance in rootstocks or even own-rooted Vitis vinifera cultivars by conventional breeding and by genetic engineering. Areas for future research are identified, and we provide conceptual tools plus information for long term control of nematodes in vineyards.