Grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliaeFitch) in Argentina: ecological associations to diversity, population structure and reproductive mode

Abstract

Background and Aims: The North American insect pest grape phylloxera was introduced into Europe in the 19th century and devastated the Vitis vinifera-based vineyards. It has since become widely distributed among the world's vineyards. Although it is present in Argentina, it has not caused any major damage. This work aims: to characterise the genetic diversity of Argentinean phylloxera; to determine population structure and reproductive mode; to compare Argentinean genotypes with samples from seven other countries; and to examine relationships between the infestation level and genetic profile with ecological factors. Methods and Results: One hundred and twenty-nine samples of phylloxera from Argentinean provinces were analysed with 21 microsatellite markers. Seventeen multilocus genotypes were identified. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean analysis identified two major groups. Principal coordinates analysis grouped together Peruvian, California biotypes A and B and Argentinean phylloxera, showing dissimilarity with other foreign samples. Associations between infestation level, berry colour and climatic region, and associations between genetic clusters and climatic region were established. Conclusions: Endemic Argentinean phylloxera genotypes showed genetic diversity and were different from other samples assessed. Parthenogenesis is proposed as the main reproductive mode, but rare sexual reproduction is not ruled out. No particular structure was observed in the phylloxera populations. Significance of the Study: This is the first detailed report on the genetic characterisation of phylloxera populations in Argentina using microsatellites markers. It provides the foundation for further studies.

First European leaf-feeding grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch) survey in Swiss and German commercial vineyards

“…The likely patterns of the introductions of phylloxera into worldwide viticulture regions from its native habitat have Table 2 Genetic diversity parameters for grape phylloxera populations obtained in 9 Swiss (CH) and German (DE) regions been extensively analyzed by different authors using diverse genetic markers, including mitochondrial (Downie 2002) and nuclear polymorphisms (Forneck et al 2000;Lund et al 2017;Riaz et al 2017). Whereas phylloxera populations from Vitis species like V. vulpina and V. arizonica are suggested to be the more likely source of introductions into viticulture regions like California (USA), South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South America (Arancibia et al 2018;Downie 2002;Lund et al 2017), there is a general agreement that all European phylloxera introductions are likely to come from northeastern American populations, where V. riparia dominates (Downie 2002). Our results confirm such findings, in which most of the European genotypes from Swiss and German commercial vineyards are grouped together with phylloxera samples from the northeastern native range from V. riparia plants.…”

Use of DNA Markers for Grape Phylloxera Population and Evolutionary Genetics: From RAPDs to SSRs and Beyond

“…In parallel, the inadvertent transference of grape phylloxera individuals on infested grapevine cuttings from Europe and/or North America to New World vineyards (California, South America, South Africa, Australia, Asia, etc.) led to the worldwide dispersal of the insect [17,18,19,20,21]. As a result, grape phylloxera can be found in almost all viticultural regions worldwide (Figure 2), and it is considered a major pest for the cultivated grapevine [2].…”

“…In fact, it is the only approach with a growing trend in the last decade (Figure 3). By this means, studies have involved analyzing the genetic structure of grape phylloxera using microsatellites in its natural habitat [18] and in many introduced ranges [17,19,31,39,57,58,59].…”

“…Microsatellites have also been useful in exploring the genetic diversity of grape phylloxera in other introduced regions in Uruguay [57], Argentina [17] and China [80]. Regarding Uruguay, the cluster analysis of 69 leaf-galling individuals from six viticultural regions using four microsatellite markers ( DVSS3 , DVSSR4 , Dvit1 and Dvit2 ) revealed a stratification that correlated with geography, as grape phylloxera samples collected from nearby regions grouped together.…”

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Two Root-Feeding Grape Phylloxera (D. vitifoliae) Lineages Feeding on a Rootstock and V. vinifera

“…The majority of rootstocks used in modern viticulture are ranked tolerant against grape phylloxera, thus hosting grape phylloxera populations without host damage [ 20 ]. Reports of grape phylloxera root infestations leading to crop loss and significant vine damage are increasing worldwide [ 26 , 27 , 28 ], partially explained by the evolution and spread of host-adapted grape phylloxera biotypes [ 29 , 30 ]. A classification system for grape phylloxera defines seven biotypes (A-G), based on insect performance (e.g., life table parameters), host plant responses (e.g., gall numbers), and the feeding tissue (leaf versus root) [ 31 ].…”