Indigenous Aureobasidium pullulans Strains as Biocontrol Agents of Botrytis cinerea on Grape Berries

Viola Galli, Yuri Romboli, Damiano Barbato, Eleonora Mari, Manuel Venturi, Simona Guerrini and Lisa Granchi
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Viola Galli: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Via San Bonaventura 13, 50145 Florence, Italy
Yuri Romboli: FoodMicroTeam s.r.l., Via di Santo Spirito n. 14, 50125 Florence, Italy
Damiano Barbato: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Via San Bonaventura 13, 50145 Florence, Italy
Eleonora Mari: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Via San Bonaventura 13, 50145 Florence, Italy
Manuel Venturi: FoodMicroTeam s.r.l., Via di Santo Spirito n. 14, 50125 Florence, Italy
Simona Guerrini: FoodMicroTeam s.r.l., Via di Santo Spirito n. 14, 50125 Florence, Italy
Lisa Granchi: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Via San Bonaventura 13, 50145 Florence, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-12

Abstract: Aureobasidium pullulans is a yeast-like fungus found on the surface of the grape berries that has been proven to act as a biocontrol agent for the management of grey mould disease caused by Botrytis cinerea . In this work, an indigenous strain of A. pullulans isolated from grape berries and selected according to the in vitro activity against B. cinerea , was used in vineyards of the winery where it originated, in comparison with a commercial product containing two A. pullulans strains with the aim of assessing its effectiveness as a biocontrol agent. The experimental design included daily meteorological data registration and the early defoliation of grapevines as treatments. The monitoring of A. pullulans strains on grape berries by plate counts and molecular methods as well as of B. cinerea symptoms on grape bunches was performed in the different trials from the end of flowering to the harvest time. Results highlighted that although no significant differences ( p < 0.05) in the occurrence of B. cinerea were detected according to different treatments, the mean incidence of symptomatic berries ranged from 7 to 16%, with the lowest values recorded in bunches treated with the indigenous A. pullulans strain. The efficacy of the biocontrol agent was affected more by meteorological conditions than the defoliation practice.

Keywords: Aureobasidium pullulans; biocontrol; grapevine; Botrytis cinerea; viticulture; grape berries; grey mould; yeasts; sustainability; Botrytis bunch rot (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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