Washington Grape Grower Battles New Threat

A virologist with Washington State University’s (WSU) Viticulture and Enology program has discovered a block of ‘Grenache’ vines are stunted and sickly because they suffer from a damaging syndrome caused by Tobacco Ringspot Virus (TRSV), a pathogen never before seen in Washington.

“That was a huge surprise,” says Naidu Rayapati. “It was a revelation that we have a new problem here.”

Washington Grape Grower Battles New Threat

Grapes from healthy ‘Grenache’ vines dwarf grapes from vines damaged by Tobacco Ringspot Virus.
(Photo: WSU).

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The problem was initially discovered by Vineyard Manager Andrew Schultz on grapevines planted in a former pear orchard near Wapato, WA. The ‘Grenache’ vines had been productive and healthy, but over time, a mysterious infection had taken hold.

Mottled, stunted, and sickly, the infected vines were producing only tiny, miniature clusters — or no fruit at all. Infected leaves, crisscrossed with white lines, looked as if they had been munched by insects, but Schultz could see no bugs.

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“It was unlike anything I’d seen before,” Schultz says. “You should take a look at this,” he told Rayapati, his former professor and an expert on grapevine diseases at WSU’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC) in Prosser.

Discovered 90 years ago in Virginia, TRSV affects a wide variety of crops, from grapes, apples, and cherries to common weeds. It is spread by nematodes — specifically, the dagger nematode, Xiphinema americanum. Like the virus, this species of dagger nematodes was also previously unknown in Washington.

Rayapati and Schultz aren’t sure how the virus and its nematode vector arrived here, but Rayapati suspects they may have hitched a ride with pears or other crops years ago.

TRSV causes vines to become totally unproductive with time.

“In about 10 years, you lose everything and the land becomes useless,” Rayapati says. “It’s a very serious problem.”

Since that first discovery, in 2013, the virus remains isolated on that single vineyard block in Wapato. Rayapati, his team of graduate students, and Schultz have been working together on techniques to contain and defeat it.

Grape growers typically get rid of viruses by removing infected plants and replacing them with healthy, virus-free ones.

“Tobacco Ringspot is a totally different beast,” Rayapati says. “Removing and replanting doesn’t stop it.”

That’s because the virus also infects the dagger nematodes living in the soil, and those creatures are difficult to kill.

Chemicals can kill the nematodes, but daggers are hardy, and their populations spring back within a season or two.

Rayapati’s research has shown that the dagger nematode species in this vineyard block can spread TRSV from infected to healthy grapevines.

Washington Grape Grower Battles New Threat

Teja Narta, a postdoctoral researcher, and Daniel Hottell, and undergraduate intern at Washington State University, collect soil samples to identify dagger nematodes in a vineyard affected by Tobacco Ringspot Virus. (Photo: WSU)

Rayapati and Schultz are testing different combinations of rootstocks and grafts, as well as own-rooted vines, to find grape plants that resist the virus or are unpalatable to nematodes. Schultz is also looking at predatory nematodes that eat the ones spreading the virus.

Right now, the best defense against TRSV is knowing when you’re at risk.

“TRSV has a broad host range, and can jump easily from one plant species to another. That’s why we’re trying to alert growers,” Rayapati says. “If you’re planning to switch crops, it’s a good idea to get your soil tested to see if you’re at risk of these nematode vectors.”

“We’re farming 50-year-old pear blocks that predate modern clean plant materials, and may someday go to grapes,” Schultz says. “We don’t know what viruses may be in the ground that do not affect pears, but may pop up when we go to grapes.”

WSU IAREC is home to the Clean Plant Center Northwest, which helps growers plant virus-free trees, grapes, and hops. Rayapati urges growers to always plant clean vines from a reputable source, reducing their risk of accidentally spreading a virus.

“Once you introduce these diseases, the rest is history,” he says.

Rayapati also urges growers to meet and talk about virus defense.

“On Red Mountain, for example, where grape acreage is expanding, we’re trying to assemble growers of new and existing plantings to discuss the risks,” he says.

Wine is a $4.8 billion industry in Washington. Sixty thousand acres of wine grapes are grown here, with more planted every year.

“It’s important to nip this problem in the bud,” Rayapati says. “Tobacco Ringspot isn’t something that will wipe out the industry, but we need to make sure growers plant virus-free materials and there are no risks in the soil itself.”

For Schultz, researching the virus means saving not just his vines, and the investment they represent, but the Northwest industry — for years to come.

“We could take the vines out and replant with something else, or just fallow the land,” Schultz says. “But, with Naidu, we’re providing answers to other growers who may run into this virus.”

Soil testing is available commercially, and Rayapati’s team offers plant testing services. Learn more at the WSU IAREC website and through the WSU Viticulture and Enology website.

 

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