Insights into Grapevine Defence Response Against Fungal and Oomycete Diseases Towards a Sustainable Plant Breeding

Abstract

Downy mildew, powdery mildew, grey mould, black rot, and grapevine trunk diseases are among the most important fungal or oomycete diseases affecting grapevine, with a high economic impact in all growing areas. In recent decades, extensive efforts have been made to reduce the use of agrochemicals in viticulture, turning the management of these diseases a major challenge. Given the urgent need to identify and develop new sustainable and effective protection strategies, a better understanding of plant defence mechanisms is essential to develop more tolerant plants and provide valuable insights for disease management. Although recent advances in molecular technologies have allowed the identification of several resistance genes, little is known about the complexity of the molecular mechanisms involved in grapevine-pathogen interactions. This chapter aims to bring together the most up-to-date findings on the regulation of grapevine defence mechanisms against major fungal and oomycete diseases by enumerating promising candidate genes that offer broad possibilities for inducing resistance to specific pathogens. We also focus on the use of functional genomics as a tool to study grapevine immunity to different pathogens, with particular emphasis on new emerging molecular technologies that will undoubtedly contribute to a sustainable plant breeding.

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