Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius in Corinth Raisin and Wine‐Producing Vineyards in Greece: Population Composition, Ochratoxin A Production and Chemical Control

Abstract

Vineyard surveys of Corinth raisin cultivar carried out in the Peloponnese region of Greece during 2002 and of wine-producing grape cultivars (Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Rouge) on the island of Rhodes, Greece, during 2003, demonstrated the occurrence of various Aspergillus spp. in berries of bunches at harvest. Aspergillus niger and A. carbonarius were predominantly isolated from sampled berries. Although the prevailing Aspergillus spp. isolates belonged mainly to A. niger aggregate, isolates of A. carbonarius were by far the most efficient Ochratoxin A (OTA) producers as revealed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. This study provides the first evidence concerning the composition of Aspergillus populations in raisin and wine-producing vineyards and offers convincing data for their ability to produce various levels of OTA in Corinth raisins and wine-producing grapes in Greece. Furthermore, it demonstrates that chemical applications with the fungicide Switch, especially under low to intermediate Aspergillus infection of vineyards, could both significantly reduce the occurrence of OTA-producing Aspergillus spp. and restrict sour rot severity. In contrast, vineyard applications with the fungicides Carbendazim or Chorus were ineffective in controlling the fungus in Corinth raisin cultivar. U. S.

Managing ochratoxin A risk in the grape-wine food chain

“…The latter mixture was confirmed as effective in a number of field trials carried out in several Mediterranean countries, including France, Spain, Greece and Italy (Tjamos et al 2004;Kappes et al 2005;Bellì et al 2007). The most effective treatment was observed at 21 days before harvesting and a previous treatment at veraison was suggested in high-risk conditions.…”

Characterization of cultivated fungi isolated from grape marc wastes through the use of amplified rDNA restriction analysis and sequencing

“…Previous studies demonstrated that mainly yeast species and members of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillum, Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Botrytis prevailed among fungi colonizing grapes (Battilani and Pietri, 2002;Tjamos et al, 2004;Serra et al, 2005). In addition, Nectria haematococca (synonyms: Fusarium solani, H. haematococca), A. niger and A. awamori, as well as P. expansum, P. chrysogenum, and P. crustosum were among the species isolated from grapes (Benkhemmar et al, 1993;Omer et al, 1995;Magnoli et al, 2004).…”

Wine Contamination with Ochratoxins: A Review

“…Therefore, care must be taken before the application of chemical products and field trials are imperative. Tjamos et al [118] evidenced the effectiveness of Switch (active ingredients cyprodinil and fludioxonil) in reducing the level of Aspergillus section Nigri populations on wine-producing grape vineyards and indicated that the closer the harvest the more efficient the application. Bellí et al [119] compared the effectiveness of Switch and Chorus (active ingredient cyprodinil) to control black Aspergilli in the vineyards.…”