The 8th International Phylloxera Symposium is held in Geisenheim (Germany) in July 2025.
It was organised by Hochshule Geisenheim University under the patronage of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.
In the last four years, despite repeated fertilization and irrigation applications from the farmer, a progressive vegetative decline and yield decrease have been observed in a large (5 ha) 10-year-old table grapes vineyard of the cv. Autumn Pearl grafted on 1103 Paulsen and located nearby the Ionian Sea in Taranto province (Apulia, Italy).
The potential use of Metarhizium brunneum to control root phylloxera was tested on potted vines in the green house in studentical projects at the Winecampus Neustadt. In 2023 Metarhizium was applied by inoculated barley and by suspension variant in single pot experiments on 5 BB rootstock vines artificially infested by root phylloxera.
Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs), caused by a group of fungal pathogens including Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium minimum, and Diplodia seriata, pose a serious threat to grapevine cultivation worldwide.
Grapevine phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch), controlled by grafting, has re-emerged due to climate change, with shorter hibernation phases, earlier hatching and migrating of hibernales towards the leaves of the vines, and increased reproduction cycles within one season.
The International Phylloxera Genotype Database “PHYLLI” which is supported by the 2014 ISHS Phylloxera group describes Grape Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) genotypes, which are genotyped by seven SSR markers (Dvit6, DVSSR4, DV4, DV8, Phy_III_36, Phy_III_55, Phy_III_30). The samples are standardised by single founder lineages, that are equally biotyped.
What happens in the vines that simultaneously experience both abiotic and biotic stress factors? Here, we have set up an experiment in a greenhouse with Muscaris, a PIWI cultivar, to determine its response in terms of non-structural carbohydrates.
Resistance to phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) is the most important trait in grapevine rootstock breeding. Up to now, there are eight quantitative trait loci (QTL) described mediating resistance on roots or leaves. In order to understand the genetic basis of one of these genetic loci, the genome of the resistance donor ‘Börner’ was sequenced and the genomic region of the Rdv1 locus analyzed.
The response of grapevine to drought is a complex trait that involves several morphological adaptations and physiological pathways. In modern viticulture, this response is mediated by the rootstock genotype, which can induce tolerance rather than susceptibility to the scion.
Until the second half of the nineteenth century, viticulture in Europe was free from phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) and grapevines were cultivated on their own roots. With the introduction of phylloxera in 1863, viticulture came under severe pressure as the pest eradicated more than 2.5 million hectares of viticultural area.
Grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch) is a major insect pest that has had devastating effects in grape-growing regions worldwide. As a result, using phylloxera-resistant rootstocks is a key component of modern vineyard management.