ISSN 2756-3685
International Journal of Enology and Viticulture ISSN 2756-3685 Vol. 11 (5), pp. 001-012, May, 2024. https://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/ © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Outbreak of grapevine leaf roll disease in East Africa: A case study of Tanzania
Herieth Rhodes Mero
University of Dar es Salaam, Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE), Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, P. O. BOX 2513, Iringa, Tanzania. Email addresses of the Corresponding author [email protected]; [email protected];[email protected] ORCID of the Corresponding author
0000-0001-6790-6390 Phone contact of the corresponding author Mobile phone number: +255 759247662.
Receive April 3, 2024; Accepted May 21, 2024 and Published 6 June, 2024
Abstract
A case-control study was conducted in Dodoma, Tanzania to determine unknown genetic diversity of causal viruses of the most destructive Leaf Roll Disease of Grapevines (GLD) emerged in Chisichili (January 2024) and Mpunguzi (October 2023) villages. Sum of 600 leaf samples from apparently health (controls) and symptomatic GLD-cases of Koja variety combined, were collected from the two villages. By Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction assay, type 3 and (3 and 1) of Grapevine Leaf Roll associated Virus (GLRaV) species were detected in the corresponding Chisichili and Mpunguzi villages, with prevalence of 54(54%) and (164(82%) and 12(6%)), respectively. Forty-six (46%) and 24(12%) of the suspected GLD-cases in the respective Chisichili and Mpunguzi villages, tested negative for the investigated 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 types of the GLRaV species including all (300(100%)) control samples. Identification of the GLRaV-3 and 1 in Tanzania calls for immediate improvement of grapevine phytosanitation practices and implementation of strict quarantine policy to prevent spread of the viruses in East Africa. Metatranscriptomic and transcriptomic studies are needed in order to characterize the GLRaV-variants and determine level of virus-resistance in Tanzanian grapevines, correspondingly. Such knowledge is prerequisite to transgenesis and/or breeding of virus-resistant grapevines for effective disease control.
Keywords: Vitis vinifera; Grapevine leaf roll associated virus species; Grapevine Leafroll Disease; Genetic Diversity; Prevalence; Virulence; Pathogenicity; Variants; Host-pathogen interaction; RT-PCR assay.