A. Caudwell et al., ABILITY OF GRAPEVINE ROOTSTOCKS VARIETIES TO TRANSMIT FLAVESCENCE-DOREE - STUDY OF THE CASE OF 3309-C AND FERCAL, Agronomie, 14(2), 1994, pp. 83-94
Most grapevine rootstock varieties are potential symptomless carriers
of Flavescence doree (FD). However some infected plants of 3309 C and
Fercal rootstocks can be recognized as they exhibit late spring growth
and incomplete ripening of some canes. Once infected, these plants re
main as potential sources of infection throughout their lifetime. Ther
efore, contrary to V vinifera behaviour, treating fields with insectic
ides against the leafhopper vector to prevent inoculations of the dise
ase is not efficient in reducing the infectivity of the plants already
infected. Only 6-80% of cuttings obtained from infected plants transm
it the disease. Canes from the same vine are unevenly infected and the
infection level along the canes is also uneven. The high degree of FD
transmission in 3309 C is associated with a high graft mortality, the
'practical mortality' (graft death + diseased) sometimes reaching 82%
. New inoculations can occur in fields containing 3309 mother plants,
even though insecticide treatments are mandatory. This stresses the ne
cessity of a geographical isolation of mother-plant stands.