Executive Summary : | Grapevine cultivation in India is a significant commercial crop, with an annual production of 1878.3 thousand metric tonnes. However, grapevine cultivation faces several diseases, including downy and powdery mildew, which can cause 50-100% yield loss under severe conditions. Grapevine mildews are managed using about 20 rounds of highly toxic, high residual fungicides, which exceed the EU Minimum Residual Level (EU MRL) in grape fruits. Continuous application of chemical fungicides also results in increased cultivation costs, the development of resistant races in mildew pathogens, and reduced fruit quality. In India, grapevine mildews are managed after establishing mildew symptoms on leaves and fruits, requiring multiple rounds of fungicide spraying. A latent period of 7-18 days is observed between inoculation of mildew pathogens and disease symptoms. Early detection of airborne pathogens and subsequent need-based fungicidal sprays can reduce the number of spraying and increase fruit quality. A rapid grapevine mildew detection assay, Loop mediated Isothermal amplification (LAMP assay), has been developed and validated for the first time in India. The research team has developed low-cost impaction and suction spore traps for trapping airborne plant pathogens. Early detection and monitoring of airborne grapevine mildew pathogens at the field level during cropping season using spore traps and LAMP assay can provide information on possible mildew disease occurrences, helping grapevine growers to take appropriate fungicidal sprays and reduce cultivation costs. |