Pierce's Disease
Research Updates

piercesdisease.cdfa.ca.gov

What is Pierce's Disease?

Pierce's Disease is a bacterial infection, which is spread by bugs that feed on grapevines, particularly the "glassy winged sharpshooter." Grapevines that become infected with PD can quickly become sick and die.

glassy-winged sharpshooter

Whole-plant transpiration efficiency of Sultana grapevine grown under saline conditions is increased through the use of a Cl--excluding rootstock


  • Author(s): Condon, Anthony; Gibberd, Mark; Walker, Robert;
  • Abstract: The aim of this study was to test the influence of salinity (1, 20, 40 and 80 mol m-3) on the transpiration efficiency (W = biomass/water transpired), lamina gas exchange and carbon isotope discrimination (DELTA) of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sultana) grown on own roots or grafted to a Cl--excluding rootstock (Ramsey; Vitis champini L.). Growth of own-rooted and Ramsey-rooted vines irrigated with a salinity of 40 mol m-3 was reduced by 55 and 12%, respectively, compared with vines irrigated with 1 mol m-3. At 1 mol m-3 W of Ramsey-rooted vines was 1.3-fold higher than own-rooted vines (3.9 and 3.0 g L-1, respectively). Salinity resulted in a decrease in W of own-rooted vines (31% reduction at both 40 and 80 mol m-3). In contrast, W of Ramsey-rooted vines increased by up to 1.25-fold under saline conditions. Consequently, at 80 mol m-3 W of Ramsey-rooted vines was 2-fold higher than own-rooted vines. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of the potential of a rootstock to increase W of a crop species under saline conditions. The rootstock-dependent differences in grapevine W under saline conditions were not determined by differences in lamina gas exchange. Differences in W associated with rootstock may be attributed to differences in ion uptake and the energy requirements associated with ion partitioning and the formation of compatible solutes.
  • Publication Date: Jan 2003
  • Journal: Functional Plant Biology