French researchers believe new control methods for grapevine downy mildew (pictured right) are a realistic prospect after managing to identify the group of genes involved in its sexual reproduction. It is the first time these genes have been identified in oomycetes, reports France’s INRAE.
The findings were made possible thanks to technical advances by a team of researchers from INRAE, CNRS and Paris Saclay University, which allowed them to cross grapevine downy mildew strains with each other for the first time.
“This is a major advance in the understanding of sexual reproduction in oomycetes, and, at a larger scale, in plants and fungi,” reports INRAE. “Additionally, it could open new avenues to fight grapevine downy mildew by disrupting its sexual reproduction phase, essential to the development of the disease.”
New control methods for downy mildew would be particularly welcome as it is one of the main diseases affecting grape production. It can cause significant losses and when conditions are favourable to its propagation, it may require up to ten fungicide treatments.
“As a result of this discovery, a new method to fight grapevine downy mildew can be envisaged, one that would focus on the sexual phase of the pathogen,” reports INRAE. “Limiting the success of sexual reproduction could help reduce the intensity of epidemics the following year. The goal of the researchers responsible for this study is to develop a process to disrupt the sexual phase, for example, by saturating the environment with hormones specific to the recognition of mating types.”
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