Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) as an alternative host of grapevine fungal trunk pathogens

In 2016, canker and severe dieback symptoms were observed on barberry (Berberis vulgaris) trees in some regions of Fars Province (Iran). Some of the affected trees were planted in vineyards, where grapevine trunk diseases had previously been studied. Therefore, to determine the potential of barberry trees to serve as inoculum reservoirs of grapevine fungal trunk pathogens, wood samples were cut and collected from infected barberry trees, and the isolation of the possible fungi were made from necrotic wood tissues on potato dextrose- agar (PDA). Fifteen fungal species, Biscogniauxia rosacearum, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Diplodia seriata, D. mutila, Dothiorella viticola, Exophiala pisciphila, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Phaeoacremonium parasiticum, P. iranianum, P. italicum, P. cinereum, P. rubrigenum, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, Seimatosporium vitis, and Stilbocrea banihashemiana were isolated from diseased barberry trees and identified based on morphological features and molecular data analyses. Pathogenicity tests on barberry and grapevine shoots confirmed L. theobromae to be the most aggressive species. Our study showed that barberry trees can serve as alternative tree hosts for many grapevine fungal trunk pathogens and this must be considered in the management programs of grapevine trunk diseases.