First report of Seimatosporium vitis causing grapevine trunk disease on Vitis in Italy. First report of Seimatosporium vitis on Vitis in Italy

Grapevines with external typical symptoms of "esca disease" and different internal symptoms were found in summer 2018 Matera County (Southern Italy-Basilicata Region). Trunk samples taken from symptomatic grapevine plants were used for fungi isolation. Results from fungal isolation, morphological and molecular identification showed the presence of Seimatosporium vitis in all samples investigated. This fungus is implicated in grapevine trunk diseases and leads to plant death. This is the first record in Italy of S.vitis associated to grapevines with symptoms highly similar to "esca disease".