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“Flavescence dorée” (FD) is a grapevine quarantine disease associated with phytoplasmas and transmitted to healthy plants by insect vectors, mainly Scaphoideus titanus. Development of efficient methods for its control has been hampered by the lack of knowledge about phytoplasma biological properties, linked also to difficulties in its in vitro cultivation. Conventional management strategies rely mainly on the application of insecticide treatments, roguing of infected plants and production of phytoplasma‐free propagation material. However, these strategies are costly and could have undesirable environmental impacts. Novel approaches are being investigated using transcriptomic and proteomic tools that can assist in identifying key regulators expressed by diseased, recovered and healthy plants. These studies allowed the identification of molecular profiles linked to the grapevine cultivar‐diverse susceptibility that are of great interest for the development of FD less susceptible plants by breeding programmes. Other promising FD management strategies include the use of grapevine endophytic microorganisms with known biocontrol properties and endophytes living inside specialized insect cells, which can be potential candidates for FD vector control. Finally, the application of plant defence elicitors might be an interesting tool for FD containment, but more research is needed before it can be implemented. In this review, the methodologies used for detecting and confining FD diffusion are discussed, focusing mainly on conventional tools, current research perspectives and knowledge gaps.

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Intensification of agrochemicals application in vineyards has raised several concerns in Viticulture and Oenology value chain. Efforts have been developed to optimize grapevine health and productivity, assuring that viticulture is sustainable and competitive in today’s wine market. Viticulture practices have constantly been improved for a more sustainable and environment-friendly production, reducing the application of agrochemicals, replacing them by natural compounds that can have a double effect: protect grapevine against pathogens and improve compounds related to grape organoleptic quality. In this context, the development and optimization of alternative strategies to improve and enhance plant defences and grape/wine quality is becoming a necessity. Since the 1980s, chitosan has become a compound of special interest due to its double effect as elicitor and grapevine biostimulant, representing a complement to soil fertilisation, and reducing the negative effects nutrients leaching into the groundwater. The present review aims to present the wide possibilities of chitosan applications on grapevines to prevent and combat the main diseases and to improve wine quality. In this way, relevant studies about chitosan application will be presented as well as some concerns and limitations in order to cover the knowledge gaps inherent to its application in vineyard and wine as well.

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